Steven Universe: Crystallize Red
by M.M.Richter-XIII
Summary: A high-ranking gem deserts Homeworld after a severe trauma and finds her way to a faraway planet called Earth. Naturally, she encounters the Crystal Gems. Can Steven Universe and Family help this Gem in need, all while forces that weren't done with her start to close in? Please R&R, Any feedback is welcome. Also, on AO3!
1. Consultation part 1

_**A/N:**_ **Hello, fellow writers and readers. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you like it. I actually found Steven Universe a few months ago, and like almost everyone who I talked to about it, I love its message, its characters, its world, and just the whole show. And so, I was inspired to write. This is actually the first thing I will have written and posted in some time, so I'm excited and a little nervous. In any case, thanks again for stopping by, and I again hope you like the story. And here ... we … go:**

Steven Universe: Crystallize Red

Consultation pt. 1

The night was just settling in as the Crystal Gems were relaxing at home. Steven, Connie, and Amethyst sat on the couch, settled into a movie on Connie's laptop. Pearl and Garnet were washing dishes. Suddenly, Garnet went completely rigid, dropping the dishes in her hands. The crash immediately alerted everyone in the house…

"Garnet, what's wrong…?" Pearl was rightfully worried.

Before another word could be said, the warp pad whirled to life with a column of light. Peridot, an electronic device in hand, came sprinting into the off the pad and pulling Lapis Lazuli behind her.

"We'reintroubleSuperMegaTroubleDangerImminentTotallyThoroughlyCompromised!"

"Peridot, slow down." Steven said, despite quickly growing scared himself, "What's going on?"

Peridot, no less hysterical, relayed, "Homeworld ship! I just picked it up on the radar I built! And based on its speed and trajectory, it's HEADED FOR US!"

Amethyst jumped up, "You serious?!"

Pearl asked, "No. When will it get here?

"Right now…" Garnet regained herself and took action, "Everyone outside! Steven, Connie, stay behind us. Let's go!"

The Crystal Gems all went bounding outside. Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst went out first with their weapons drawn as Lapis summoned her wings and flew out over their heads. Peridot ran out behind them, the device in her hand still blaring. Steven summoned Rose's shield, Connie grabbed up Rose's sword, and both exited last. They made it to the edge of the beach just as the reason for their panic appeared.

A ship broke through the night sky and slowly descend toward the beach. It was circular vessel with four curved 'blades' swirling around the edge of its red spherical center, giving it a slight resemblance to an electric fan. As it got closer to the ground, multiple lights activated on the ship's underside and were morphed into circular streaks from the blades' rotation, the display changing the ship's resemblance into that of a swirling galaxy. Peridot let out a shocked gasp…

"Oh my stars! I've never even seen a ship like that before!"

The ship hovered to a stop over the sand, and a stair platform lowered from its underside to the ground. Down the steps walked a large gem, and she walked to the water's edge as her ship docked itself. Light beams shot out from the sides of the ship and swept over the immediate area. After a moment, they came to a stop on the side of the temple. The lights swept over the temple a second, more thorough time, scanning over it up, down, left, and then right. Seeming satisfied, the ship bent into an L shape, carefully got closer, and attached itself to the temple flush with the sand, the ship's adhering blades softening and conforming to the temple's shape.

The Gem herself was very tall and very well-built. She had a voluminous waterfall of platinum hair flowing down her back, and indicated by the little readily shown, her skin was deep red. She wore a black long coat with her hands stuffed into her pockets. Most obvious of all was that she was a Quartz.

She had seen large bodies of liquid like this before on other planets, so she reached down and dipped her hand into it. Not just neutral, this liquid was cold, calm, and very pleasant. She looked back up to the purple-hued sky, the stars just starting to shine down.

"What a lovely place…" She mused softly.

The Crystal Gems cautiously approached the new Quartz, but sensing them, she looked over her shoulder at them and revealed her piercing golden eyes and a marking over her right eye…: a white diamond. Peridot stopped dead in her tracks with a stifled shriek as the Quartz turned back to the ocean.

Pearl stated with as much authority as she could muster, "Quartz, this is not a Homeworld-controlled territory."

"I know." The large Gem replied without turning around, "I mean, this is planet Earth … isn't it?"

Amethyst readied her whip, "Okay, second question: what are you doing here? What do you want?"

"Nothing from you, if that's what you're worried about. I don't… I don't want anything from anyone, really."

Pearl responded, "You didn't answer the question. What is your mission? Why are you here?"

"I really don't want to tell you that."

Pearl persisted, "If you're going to stay here, we need to know your intentions. And if you're not going to tell us, then you have to leave immediately."

"I'm sorry, but… Leaving isn't really an option for me either."

Tension continued to build as the Crystal Gems tried to gauge their new visitor and what to do about here. She wasn't aggressive but she also wasn't backing down. She didn't seem sinister but was really evasive. Steven, meanwhile, was really hoping for a solution that would avoid a fight.

Pearl raised her spear toward the Quartz, "See here, we demand to know what you're up to."

The Quartz half-turned and responded with a hint of indignation, "You … _demand_?!"

Pearl stated emphatically, "We are the Crystal Gems, and this planet is under our protection. We will not have anyone threatening it, including you!"

"Pearl, be careful." Garnet whispered.

The Quartz turned square to them and exposed her hands, a ring on her left hand glinting as she does, "And you want my story? Well, I'm not ready to open up. Now, if you're ready to do something about that…" She audibly clenched her fists and bared her teeth, revealing fang-like canines, "I'm on your schedule."

"Pearl, don't…' Steven pleaded, acting on a feeling.

It was too late. Pearl rocketed forward, with Amethyst starting to follow only for Garnet to hold her back. Pearl attacked with a swift, artful swing, but the Quartz calmly responded with a two-handed block, seizing the spear's neck with her left hand and blocking the spear's point with her right forearm, and held the weapon in place.

"You're a Pearl, and you hit _this hard…_?! Very impressive."

Steven, urgent and desperate, looked at Garnet, who gave a confirming nod.

"Wait! Stop!"

Steven ran forward. Connie and Peridot reached out to stop him, just missing him, but Lapis followed. Steven ran right up to the deadlocked Pearl and quartz warrior…

"Wait, please, we don't have to fight." Steven pleaded.

Pearl didn't take her eyes off the Quartz, "Steven, stay back! This is…"

"Pearl!" Garnet finally asserted, "That's enough!"

Pearl started to protest in surprise, "But, Garnet, I…" She looked back only to see Garnet giving her a stern and truly withering look.

"You should listen to your family…" The Quartz echoed what the others said, "Nice and easy…"

The Quartz slowly and smoothly released the spear, and in turn, Pearl cautiously pulled back and lowered her weapon, though she remained staring at the new gem.

Steven tried to keep everyone calm, continuing, "Okay, we may have got off to a bad start, but it's okay; let's just start over…" Steven turned to the Quartz and extended his hand to her, "Welcome to Earth; we're the Crystal Gems. My name is Steven Universe; what's yours?"

The Quartz looked in confusion at the small being: short and stubby, round and soft hands and feet with large, clear, and hopeful charcoal-black eyes. She could sense a gem inside but only slightly, and none of this being features indicated what kind of gem resided in this little one. Those features even looked- what was the word- 'male'. Still, the little gem had a warm and amiable presence with no hint of malice, and definitely didn't seem capable of trickery. She returned the gesture, shaking his hand as she gave her name.

"Tanzanite. Nice to meet you, Steven." The boy's eyes lit up. Tanzanite decided to simply inquire, "If you don't mind me asking… I can sense you're a gem, sort of, but I can't tell for sure. I apologize if this is rude, but… What exactly are you?"

Steven happily explained, "Oh, I'm actually half-Gem. My dad is human, from this planet, and my mom was Rose Quartz; she gave up her gem so I could live. See…"

He lifted his shirt, and sure enough, a pristine pink Rose Quartz gem rested in the center of his belly. Tanzanite stared at the gem as she tried to absorb all the new information.

"Your mother…?" A gem reproducing with a native species…? I've only heard stories about that; never thought it was actually possible." Tanzanite puzzled out as Steven lowered his shirt. She gently placed a hand on Steven's head and said with a smirk, "You're a regular urban myth, little one." Tanzanite noticed out of her periphery one of others stepping closer, "And your family certainly defends you like it…"

Tanzanite looked over at Lapis and stopped stunned, her eyes widening and mouth dropping agape for a moment. She was a different shade of blue and her hair was a different style, but otherwise… She had the same clear yet arresting eyes and glare. She had the same petite frame and visibly delicate features. She even had her feet uncovered. For a split second, Tanzanite thought she looked exactly like…

"Uh, do you … have a problem?" Lapis asked, becoming rapidly uncomfortable.

Tanzanite shook her shock away, literally shaking her head, and replied, "Oh, uh, I'm so sorry for staring. You just … really look like someone else."

Tanzanite looked away with a very pained look in her eyes, and everyone went silent, unsure of how to proceed.

"Tanzanite…" Garnet stepped forward, "I don't know if you mean us harm, but we can't be sure. We don't get many visitors from Homeworld, and when we do, a battle has always followed. We can't take any chances when it comes to other gems we encounter."

Tanzanite took a long pause before letting out a resigned sigh, saying, "Okay… I don't know what you're all doing here or why. Honestly, I only landed on this particular spot on the planet because I picked up a signal on a broken galaxy warp. I was really hoping this place was abandoned … but no such luck; story of my life lately… I'm not here to cause any trouble. I'm not trying to take this world from you or you from it. I'm not trying to fight anyone. I just… I need to stay here; I don't know anywhere else to go. I promise I won't make a mess, I won't bother you, and I won't get in your way."

Silence again followed as everyone looked to Garnet. Garnet looked to Steven…

Steven finally offered, "I believe you; you can stay … but you don't have to stay by yourself. You can ask us if you need help with anything or even if you just want to hang out sometime."

Tanzanite started to smile but it quickly disappeared, chased away behind her eyes. So, she simply nodded and turned back to the ocean. With that, the Crystal Gems started back to the house when a discussion inevitably began.

Amethyst started, "Steven, I think we need to talk about this for a sec, especially since the SAME EXACT THING has already happened to us."

Steven reasoned, "That was different. Navy hated us and wanted revenge; we don't even know Tanzanite."

All the stress burst out of Peridot at once, "That's why this is a problem. In addition to the aforementioned similarities to the Navy encounter, we don't know anything about why she's here. She could be attempting something similar or any number of machinations."

Connie responded in analysis, "I don't know. From what I understand of Homeworld hierarchy, why would they send a Quartz to perform espionage?"

Peridot continued, "Yes, that would be non-standard, but everything about this is troublingly odd. I'm made to know and operate all forms of Homeworld technology, and I have never even seen that kind of ship before, never mind know its purpose or capabilities. I know almost all classifications and classes in the hierarchy but I don't know a class of quartz called Tanzanite. I'm not even sure I've ever heard of a Tanzanite."

"I agree with Peridot," Pearl entered into the conversation. "This is very suspect, almost too much. She's clearly hiding something or maybe everything. Lapis… She seemed to take interest in you; can you tell anything about her?"

Lapis looked between the hopeful Steven and the anxious Peridot, "I don't know if I saw anything helpful. All I know is that the look she gave me… She looked sad and hurt, like she lost something she can't get back. I definitely know that look."

"So maybe she could use our help." Steven pointed out. "Garnet, maybe you can look into the future and give us a clue, tell us if you see what we should do?"

Garnet took a long pause, adjusting her glasses momentarily, "There's … too many ways this could go. Some are very good; some are very bad; and a lot more in-between. There's no clear way is right. There _is_ one thing I know for sure…"

"You know I can still mostly HEAR you all over there?!"

"That was it." Garnet deadpanned.

The group didn't realize they'd stopped in the midst of their discussion. Steven called back to Tanzanite, "Oh, sorry! Sorry about that. We're leaving now."

The Crystal Gems continued to the temple and didn't continue the discussion until they were at the temple, stopping at the bottom of the steps

"Well, we all have valid points and none of us is sure what to do." Connie then suggested. "Maybe we should take a vote."

Steven took to the idea immediately, "That's a great idea. Raise your hand if you think we should let Tanzanite stay…" Steven raised his hand then Connie and finally Garnet. "Okay, raise your hand if we should make Tanzanite go…" Peridot, Pearl, Amethyst raised their hands. It was a tie.

"Lapis…" Garnet said, "It's up to you. What do you think?"

Lapis took a long pause with the decision hinging on her, "I … think we should let her stay."

"But, Lapis?!" Peridot exclaimed, with the others also in slight shock.

Lapis explained, "She could be dangerous even if she stays or goes. I really don't want to find out especially if we don't have to. And…" Her tone turned slightly somber. "I guess I really want to know why she's here. What happened to make her come all this way, and by herself too…?"

Pearl said with a sigh, "Okay, but I still think we should keep a very close eye on her. We need to be ready the second she tries anything malicious."

Amethyst morphed into a hawk in agreement, "I'm on it! Say the word, and she'll never leave my sight."

Garnet grabbed Amethyst by the foot, "Settle down. She's probably not trying anything tonight. Let's just leave it for now."

With Amethyst morphing back to herself, they all go back inside the temple… Tanzanite looked out into the ocean, lost in thought. That blue gem was obviously the same class as her, a painful remainder. The red quartz pulled out a small glass container from inside her coat and gazed at its contents. An unbearable pain rose in her chest and a stinging hit her eyes; she blinked the potential tears away as she hid the container again…

The night however was not over. Pearl and Lapis had already gone back to the barn, but the Crystal Gems sprinted back out of the temple maybe an hour later at Garnet's urging. They came out onto the beach to find the water churning and bubbling as if it were on a boil. Something big was happening … and it was coming right for them.

Two corrupted gems emerged from the water. The first, pale purple one had a circular shell patterned like a turtle but rolled on it like an armadillo; it rolled out of the water right past the Crystal Gems and unfurled itself, exposing its head, legs and the gem on its belly. Right behind it came a huge bright green corrupted Gem with the long tail, small legs, and sharp talons of a lizard but the big snout and set of gnarly teeth of an alligator. It sped past the gems after the spin turtle, and the turtle immediately curled back up and began rolling away.

The following fight was a dangerous and trying one as the Crystal Gems weren't just dealing with two strong gems but also with unique difficulties. The spin turtle's gem was completely protected when it was rolled up and it gave a powerful ram when those rolls connected. It had little control over its direction when it rolled, so the Crystal Gems had to take the extra task of keeping it from slamming and wrecking the temple. The iguana-gator was incredibly fast for its size to go along with its strong treacherous jaws and it snapping its tail in every direction like a whip. Its gem on its head was practically impossible to reach without contending with its jagged teeth. The one saving grace for the Crystal Gems was the two corrupted gems seemed more interested in each other with the gator chasing and the turtle defending itself.

Connie eventually found her way onto the gator's back and headed right for its gem. The large green gem however sent her flying with a furious spin. Steven caught her before she could be seriously hurt, but the gator's attention was caught; it sped right for the two youngest Crystal Gems. Steven hurled his shield at the rampaging corrupt gem and quickly bubbled them both. The gator skidded to a stop as it caught Rose's shield in its jaws, giving Pearl and Garnet enough time to leave the turtle and intervene; Pearl urgently got Steven and Connie to safety while Garnet got the gator's attention, the corrupt gem hurling the shield away as it went for the fusion. At that moment, Tanzanite exited her ship to investigate just what was happening on the beach…

"Really hard to sulk with you all making so much—"

CLANG! Rose's shield hit the red quartz right on the bridge of her nose. Tanzanite reared back reactively and held her face in pain … then looked through her fingers in intense anger.

Lowering her hands and stalking into the fray, Tanzanite quipped in quiet fury, "I'm sorry but do you have ANY IDEA how RUDE that was?!"

Tanzanite made a very odd and almost eerie call with her hands and voice that immediately got both corrupted gems' attention and even got the Crystal Gems to stop. In seeming response, the turtle came rolling right for her! Tanzanite planted her feet, and when it came close, stopped in place with her hands, leaving it spinning in place. At the same time, Amethyst snapped her whip around the corrupted gem. Amethyst and Tanzanite locked eyes, and whether by luck or synergy, they nodded to each other in confirmation. Taking firm hold of the corrupted gem, Tanzanite launched the still-spinning turtle into the air with a roar of effort, and Amethyst followed up by snapping her whip taut and slamming the turtle back down into the sand with a loud crash and sending up a shower of sand. Tanzanite circled around the enclosed shell until she found where it curled, forced it apart slightly with her bare hands, and plunged one hand in. POOF! Tanzanite ripped out the gem with a loud bang and a cloud of smoke. The gator completely stopped at the noise.

Tanzanite visually located Steven out of the way still attending to Connie, and so approached and handed them the now-dormant gem. As Steven bubbled and teleported the other gem away, the gator broke away from Garnet and Pearl and stared down Tanzanite with a shrill roar.

"So, you're the rude one, huh…" Tanzanite was unfazed by large corrupted gem.

The gator wiped her tail at the red quartz … only for Tanzanite to catch the appendage under her arm. The corrupted gem tried to get free but Tanzanite simply wound the tail around her arm and further gripped it with her other hand. The red quartz then asserted her strength by planting her feet and giving the tail a powerful yank to completely pull the corrupted gem backward over herself. BAM! Tanzanite asserted herself again by giving the tail a forceful twist to flip the corrupted gem back upright. BOOM! The gator scrambled to her feet with a shriek and tried to escape, tearing and clawing big gashes into the sand to get away. Tanzanite however held on tight…

"Where you going?!" Tanzanite quipped, "I thought you wanted to talk!"

Garnet and Pearl took swift advantage of Tanzanite's aid. Garnet rushed in and fired a barrage of punches as fast and strong as she could into the gator's face to stun her. Meanwhile, Pearl climbed on the corrupted gem's back, ran briefly up its back, and then vaulted into the air. As Garnet finished her attack, Pearl spiraled downward spear-first like a drill and plunged right through the corrupted gem's back. POOF! The gator burst into a cloud of smoke, her gem falling harmlessly to the sand. Pearl bubbled the gem and set it away, finally finishing the battle. Tanzanite turned to see the Crystal Gems all looking at her, in particular Amethyst's glare and Pearl's confusion. Just then, Steven and Connie ran up behind her…

Tanzanite felt compelled to say something, "I'm … sorry for getting involved there."

Steven very quickly pushed away that sentiment, "No! That was amazing! Thanks for helping us!"

Connie added, "Yeah, we were having a tough time there, so thank you."

Garnet chimed in as well, "It was very fortunate you showed when you did. We really appreciate it."

Amethyst at first stayed silent, but soon got a nudge from Garnet, "Eh, you were all right."

Pearl only offered a very terse response, "Thank you."

Again, Tanzanite started to smile but again it was smothered by something internal. The red quartz stuffed her hands back into her pockets and looked away.

"No problem…" With that, Tanzanite headed back into her ship and disappeared back inside.

To Be Continued


	2. Consultation part 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, its characters, or its storylines…. Rebecca Sugar however can even have my OCs if she is so inclined._

 _ **A/N:**_ **Hello, fellow writers and readers. First, I want to apologize for taking so long; my life has taken a turn for the dramatic and stressful, plus this chapter a big one. Also, quickly, I actually forgot to write my outro in the last chapter but fortunately this is a two-parter, so hopefully it won't be too incongruous. In any case, more notes at the end so let's get to it. And here … we … go:**

Steven Universe: Crystallize Red

Consultation pt. 2

"A whole week and not a single encounter. I really don't trust this." Pearl stood staring out the window the same way someone does when waiting for a storm.

Everyone else was comparatively calmer: Garnet and Steven sat on the couch playing a card game that Steven really want to her to learn. Amethyst meanwhile lounged prone on the kitchen counter.

"Pearl, calm down." Garnet responded to Pearl's concern, "I think you're overreacting."

"Why shouldn't I? A Homeworld gem falls out of the sky, attaches her ship o the temple, and then … goes silent. That sounds like a terrible equation to me."

Steven interjected in hopeful defense, "But she helped us, even when she didn't have to."

Pearl sighed, "Yes, she did, but only after she attacked. That doesn't mean she's on our side."

Amethyst added, "Look, Steven, normally I'd be behind you, but I'm with Pearl. She could up to anything in that ship, for all we know." Amethyst shapeshifted into a mouse, "Seriously, Garnet, just give the word and I could sneak in there and find out what she's up to."

"I don't think that's necessary…" Garnet then adjusted her glasses for a moment, "In fact, I think we'll find more about her very soon…"

The others couldn't help look at her in confusion…

Tanzanite walked along the beach following the path she'd seen the other gems travel and disappear from a week earlier. She really hoped they lived somewhere nearby; otherwise, this whole effort was for nothing. Fortunately, she turned the corner to see a house sticking out of the side of the mountain temple to her relief. The stress came back when she came close to the house and saw how comparatively small the steps were. Gingerly, she climbed up the steps almost completely sideways, all the while hoping no one saw how odd it must've looked.

The red quartz got to the door and started to knock, but had to stop. It was obviously not built to withstand her; one good knock would shatter it, which she figured would leave a bad impression. For the moment, she could just stand there awkwardly wondering how to announce herself non-threateningly, without breaking the house, roaring, or generally sounding as if she was mounting an attack… Garnet then opened the door unprompted. Tanzanite recoiled slightly from the unexpected action, and again the Crystal Gems snapped their attention to her. Steven however bounded to the door and stopped right next to Garnet…

"You're here! Hi!"

"Hey, little one." Tanzanite flashed him a slight smile, "Yes, I, uh… I'm here to … give you these."

Tanzanite pulled her hands out of her pockets and presented two defeated gems, one reddish-brown and the other an almost mirrored silver! Amethyst and Pearl rushed forward glimpsing them…

Steven exclaimed, "Wow! How, why did you do that?!"

Tanzanite explained, "I know you're fighting them, so … I found these two and defeated them for you. It's sort of a peace offering and … sort of a thank-you for letting me stay … 'eventually'."

"Thank you, Tanzanite. We appreciate it." Garnet said as the red quartz handed over the two gems. Garnet and Pearl bubbled them and sent them deeper into the temple.

An awkward silence followed until Tanzanite finally said, "Okay, then I'll just… Yeah…"

Tanzanite started to leave and turned to the steps but quickly dismissed the idea of going down them especially with an audience. Taking a more dramatic but surer action, she vaulted over the railing to the beach below. Steven did not want the interaction to end that way, looking to the other gems as Tanzanite started to get further away, and so ran after her just as she got halfway up the beach, Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl right behind him.

"Wait! You don't have to go." Tanzanite stopped at Steven's calling but didn't turn to them. Steven then expressed to her as only he could, "Listen, I know we just met, but… I think you're really cool and really nice. I mean, you went out of your way to help us twice already. I think we can be very good friends. And I know we seem a little scared; we've been through a lot. But that doesn't mean we don't want you here. I really do, and I'm hoping … you might even eventually want to join our group…" The red quartz remained silent but unmoving. Steven continued, "Lapis thinks something happened to you … and you probably don't want to talk about it, but if you ever do, you can always come to me or any of us."

Tanzanite finally turned and looked the boy in his eyes; he was obviously honest, earnest and hopeful. He really meant every word he said to her. It was even obvious that he had … empathy and compassion toward her. Finally, she responded.

"Okay. I'll tell you why I'm here…" Steven's face lit up, but Tanzanite wasn't done. "But… And I'll wait until you're ready, but it has to be all of you there when I tell you: Lapis Lazuli, Peridot, your native friend…" The Crystal Gems looked to each other over the odd request. "It needs to be all of you because I… I-I don't think I can tell the story more than once…

-XXX-

 _ **With Family**_

A squad of 4 gems were traversing Homeworld space in their ship. To one side of the main area was a small gem, _Sphene_ ; she was a small green gem with small yellow glittering speckles all over her body, her hair in a yellow arrowhead shape with the bottom two points ending in drastic zig-zagging patterns, her gemstone sitting on her forehead. Sphene sat at the helm, piloting the ship as she looked over multiple electronic map screens. To the opposite side of her was a big broad-shouldered pink-and-white gem with long and thick rounded locks and a set of red, circular-lensed goggles resting on her head, her gemstone sitting on her left bicep, _Thulite_ ; Thulite oversaw the ship's power, constantly reading the gauges and diverting excess when needed. Their leader Tanzanite sat in the captain's chair in the center. Finally, next to her sat deep blue gem with her hair in tight flowery curls, the hair on the back of her head even resembling a closed bud, and her gemstone rested on the top of her chest, _Azurite_ ; she was reading an electronic dossier, occasionally taking her eyes away to look up and smile at Tanzanite.

These four gems were together for effectively their entire lives and a team for just as long. Millennia passed, and they were inseparable and in tune…

 _Sphene_

She was supposed to be unseen… Tanzanite and Azurite were surveying their standard-issue Homeworld patrol ship before they embarked on their first mission when Tanzanite kept noticing something green skittering about just out of view, every few moments. She couldn't take the idea of not knowing what this possible threat could be. It was possible they were being stalked or worse, surrounded; she couldn't take that chance and, at the next opportunity, she followed it. Eventually, she found this small green gem in a back room running around and checking multiple electrical systems. She wore a sleeveless V-neck top and loose high-waisted pants with slightly flared bottoms, standard uniform for intelligence/engineering gems. Tanzanite entered the room and announced herself, only for the much smaller gem to shriek…

"Y-Y-You're not supposed to know I'm here. Oh my stars, I'm supposed to be inconspicuous!"

Tanzanite explained, "Sorry but it really irritates me when something sneaks around me; it really kick-starts my fight response."

The intelligence gem fell to her knees, pleading profusely, "Please forgive me. My first day and I've already failed. I'm so sorry. I beg your mercy."

Her desperate terror instinctively troubled Tanzanite, so the red quartz knelt down in front of her, "Hey, hey, hey, it's okay. You didn't fail. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one who hunted _you_ down; it's my fault. So just calm down, relax. Look, what kind of gem are you? What's your job on this ship?"

Sphene slowly stood, calming slightly, "I'm a … Sphene, ma'am. My directive is to monitor, maintain, and, if necessary, modify any and all electrical systems and programs running on this ship."

"Really?" Tanzanite rubbed her chin in thought, "Is that all?"

"I… I'm sorry? I mean… it is my primary directive, the occupation I'm optimized to complete."

"I understand that. However… Are there other things you think you can do? Or better yet, are there things you're interested in doing? Anything that really strikes or motivates you to try?"

"Oh, so many things! Even just on this ship, I've seen…" Sphene caught herself and receded her attitude, "Uh, I apologize for my over-enthusiasm; I emerged only a few days ago. I should stay with my directive."

"Hmm… Well, I'm the Captain of this ship, and you serve the ship, so … that would make me your commanding officer, correct? And, as your commanding officer, I can _change_ your directives, correct?"

"Well, I… Yes to the first question, and yes to the second question as well, ma'am."

"Very well then…" Tanzanite stood back up, taking on a more professional tone, "In addition to your regular, I direct: if there is something that grabs your attention or interests you, and you believe it will benefit you, our team, or the ship, then you are obligated to at least entertain the idea. And if it does have merit, you may then pursue it, at your discretion."

Sphene's eyes grew wide open as far as they could go, "Seriously?! That's… I never… At my discretion?!" I don't know of anything like this. Are… Are you really allowing me this?!"

Tanzanite smiled. "You're my intelligence officer; I should trust your knowledge and judgment, and … it would be a shame if you came up with something useful or even wonderful and weren't allowed to make it real."

Sphene could only stare at the red quartz as she got a grip on what was just offered to her. After a moment, Sphene finally let running through her mind out, "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! I can't believe this! Thank you, thank you, thank you…!" Sphene again had to catch herself and scaled her reaction back though she was still practically glowing with joy, "I mean, I accept my additional directive, and I will carry it out to the best of my abilities, ma'am."

"Glad to hear it. And by the way…" Tanzanite knelt back down and offered her hand to Sphene, "There's no need for 'ma'am'. I'm Tanzanite; glad to be on a team with you, Sphene…"

From there, Sphene never looked back with involvement and contributions. Along all her natural intelligence and eager desire to learn, she became an avid tinkerer and modifier of almost any tech or machinery she could get skilled and precise hands on. In her efforts to always be more involved, she constructed several prosthetics and contraptions that allowed her to join in on battles. However, Sphene really reached her potential as the ship's pilot: she flew the team in and back out of multiple kinds of space calamities and made many hasty escapes, outruns, and pursuits. On one occasion, her skills and talent brought the team an almost-impossible reprieve and her a shining moment…

Tanzanite, Azurite, and Thulite were attacked on all sides, pinned down. Sphene escaped and got back to the ship. She flew in, dodging enemy attack, recovered her teammates, and dodged and aced them all the way out again, rescuing her family under the most extreme duress. Though she was supposed to be inconsequential, Sphene, in truth and in many ways, proved priceless.

 _Thulite_

"I can fix anything, ma'am. Broken, battered, thrown out, mangled, or in pieces… Let me at it, and I'll have it running flawless in no time."

That was the modus operandi Thulite offered upon meeting Tanzanite and Azurite. Unlike Sphene, she was immediately easier to find; she was banging around in the ship's combined forge and power room near the bottom of the ship. Also unlike Sphene, Thulite was much more affixed to her job; Tanzanite and Azurite offered the same opportunity for growth and/or exploration, but Thulite simply shrugged it off with polite thanks. As expected, she was initially harder with which to connect. It was discovered she was a very good singer, a lively choral tessitura, but she would silence herself whenever around Azurite and Tanzanite even with encouragement and praise from both. Thulite would help Sphene with the physical work of building her projects but would stop herself short when asked for suggestions. Tanzanite however eventually found something…

"You called for me, ma'am?" Thulite entered the recreational area, lost as to the reason why.

Tanzanite turned to greet her, "Yes. I was wondering if you could help me with something…"

"I'll do my best, ma'am."

"Good. You see. I'm trying to do some training, sharpen my skills, practice new techniques, and the like. I was hoping you could help me … by being my sparring partner."

Thulite's eyes grew wide, "I … don't think I can do that."

Tanzanite reassured her with a smile, "You're too modest. You're good and fast with your hands; you know the ins and outs of any weapon I or any gem can think of; and you're a powerful, skilled, and reliable gem. I wouldn't ask if I didn't believe in you."

Thulite almost turned pure white she blushed so deep, "Ma'am, I… Thank you, but I really should just…"

Tanzanite had thought of something that she kept in the back of her mind for some time considering Thulite, a last and somewhat odd resort. She had no idea if it would work, but she had called Thulite to finally make some progress. Now was the time to offer everything.

"Okay, then… Thulite, my reaction time, my footwork, and a few other things need work. My technique is _broken_. Will you please help me _fix_ it?"

Thulite stood thunderstruck, Tanzanite's words being revelatory that she herself had never considered, "W-What?"

Tanzanite continued in the same vein, "Thulite, if you really wish to be uninvolved, say so and I won't bother you any further. I just don't want anyone in my crew to hold things in or hold themselves back, especially if they think they have to. So… please help me fix things."

Thulite took a moment to think about what Tanzanite said, to digest and internalize it. Then, she slowly pulled her googles down over her eyes, "I'll do everything I can."

After that, Thulite's relations with her unit grew rapidly. In truth, it was very hard for her to think or focus on topics or ideas that didn't involve fixing, recovering, or salvaging things, but thanks to Tanzanite and soon Azurite and Sphene, she started applying her thinking to multiple situations and acting on more lenient and liberal definitions of the concepts. Once she got that in mind, it was truly like floodgates opening and she fit comfortably into the group.

She became the first one to start singing, with the others eager to join in. She rapidly went from simple muscle to active workshop collaborator with Sphene. This actually started a frequent invention debate on Thulite's goals of functionality and reliability vs Sphene's ambition and vivid imagination. Though Tanzanite and Azurite sometimes had to rein them in, they would always made it work in the end. As Tanzanite predicted, Thulite proved a very strong combatant in the field but she was also very motivated by and focused on her teammates' wellbeing. Together with Sphene, they build and maintain several medical devices and equipment, and are quick to use or suggest them to their family.

All of these traits and experiences were exemplified in one of the earliest missions Thulite participated in. While recovering a piece of stolen colonial equipment, Tanzanite was incapacitated while having to literally smuggle the piece inside her physical form. Thulite carried Tanzanite while retreating with Azurite and Sphene, and once they were safe, helped Tanzanite recover within moments. While it took a while for her to get there, Thulite was truly indispensable once she bonded to her teammates.

 _Azurite_

Azurite was one of the first things Tanzanite ever saw, but she was definitely the most stunning. Still stiff and bleary-eyed from just emerging, the red quartz was still shaking dirt out of her hair when a rumbling in the ground from near the canyon floor signaled another gem was soon to emerge. Instead of the ground being forced open or someone digging her way out, the ground inside and all around the hole spiraled upward to a point as if pushed up from the inside, groaning and trembling as it was somehow bent into a shape it wouldn't naturally go. The spiral spire of ground then bloomed open to reveal a brilliant deep blue gem, her eyes closed and her arms stretched out to her sides. She relaxed her arms back down, and as if it had finished following a command, all the ground that had been suspended around her fell lifeless once again. Tanzanite stared in slack-jawed amazement at the other gem … until the voice of an authority gem pierced through her thoughts and broke her gaze.

This proved an apt harbinger for their first meeting… Standing with an administrative gem and in front of the Homeworld ship that was now her assigned base of operations, Tanzanite had just been given her orders, duties, and various other responsibilities. Then, she saw the deep blue gem being led by another administrative gem, and they were coming right toward her! Getting a better look at the blue gem, the red quartz could see she was wearing crisscrossing banded corset that fit flatteringly on her midsection while leaving her shoulders bare and a loose billowing skirt that stopped right below her knee, her gemstone set at the top of her chest in the exact center. Tanzanite had to actively keep herself from gawking captivated at this gorgeous gem as the administrator brought her over … only made more difficult when both administrators left the two of them alone.

"Hello, my name is Azurite." The deep blue gem said cordially, "A pleasure…"

"I'll say…" Tanzanite had to quickly recover from the enchanted slip, "I mean, my name's Tanzanite. It's a pleasure to meet you too…"

The red quartz offered her hand to Azurite. The deep blue gem very hesitantly returned the gesture and was pleasantly surprised by the larger gem's delicate touch.

"Well, I am assigned to be your second-in-command. Please use my skills and abilities at your discretion." Azurite gave Tanzanite a bow, "I look forward to serving you."

Tanzanite lowered herself to one knee, so they'd be closer to eye-level, and returned the bow, "Thank you; I am honored to have you as my partner. Feel free to use _my_ skills and abilities as you see fit as well. I can't wait to serve alongside you too." There was a very long pause, a sinking feeling in Tanzanite's entire body getting deeper with each passing moment. She looked up to see Azurite looking at her with narrowed eyes in confusion and even slight accusation; Tanzanite suddenly felt very small and ashamed, "Did … I do it wrong?"

"Are … you serious?" Azurite eventually asked.

"Of course. I mean, what good am I if I don't give as much as you're willing to give? That's what makes good partners, right?"

There was another long pause, Tanzanite partially wanting to roar or run the whole time. Finally … Azurite giggled with a slight smile, "You're weird; I like you."

It thankfully turned out to be a good start. Azurite was an Earth elemental and thus had copious ammunition at any given time; she had helped win many battles and downed many foes humongous and dangerous but, thanks to the nature of her powers, she also healed and pulled her teammates back from certain shattering many times. Usually, Azurite let Tanzanite do the talking, but she possessed a crushing glare that stopped many fights before they started and could make gems of size shrink. At the same time, she was always up for a good joke, her smile and laugh infectious once she got going (and of which Tanzanite couldn't get enough).

Tanzanite and Azurite's relationship soon grew past simple assignment, and the two grew inseparable. They fought together, planned together, searched together, and consulted on all matters, difficult or otherwise. They faced every danger together, protected and saved each other every time, eventually on instinct. They laughed, sang, and danced together. They grew to confide in and trust each other effortlessly. Naturally, the two began to try fusion to complete their missions … but it quickly became second nature to them.

Thulite was the first one to point it out: not only the duo's closeness and connection but also … the giggling asides, the sidelong gazes, the shared looks, and the playful touches. In truth, Tanzanite had actually thought about it quite a lot, and hearing it pointed out only made it easier to admit to herself. Azurite, on the other hand, hadn't thought of it really at all, but once the idea was planted, it grew and flourished much like the plants she controlled: wildly and rapidly until even simple regular interactions like Tanzanite singing, whispering, or smirking at her made her shiver. This all culminated during a relatively routine occurrence.

The crew crossed paths with a meteor shower. It was something that happened hundreds of time, and there was no danger to them or the ship. So, as they would when this came about, they stopped in place and let the ethereal event pass over them, taking in the fleeting stretch of calm, comfort, and natural beauty. Thulite and Sphene let go of their controls and leaned back in in their chairs to take it all in. Azurite moved from her seat and sat in what was quickly becoming her most comfortable spot: Tanzanite's lap. With lights streaking by above and all around them, Tanzanite and Azurite looked into each other's eyes, held the gaze with tender smiles … and kissed deeply. It was easy and lovely, natural and wonderful; they both wondered why they never tried it before and what took them so long. They eventually separated with a soft, satisfied pop, only to dive into another kiss immediately.

The pair loved each other and were devoted to one another every day afterward. As couples do, they even fashioned and exchanged tokens of their commitment: Azurite crafted a tightly-woven vambrace, a golden hand, wrist, and forearm armor piece, in the banded style as Azurite's own corset. On its top where it fastened to the left arm was a gold ring, inscription on it reading 'Love, Azurite'. Tanzanite loved it when Azurite used her power to create things, and it being an armor piece fit the red quartz perfectly as a warrior. It was strong and beautiful. 'Just like you,' Azurite said. Concurrently, Tanzanite made her a white, long-sleeved bolero 'jacket' much like a white, much shorter and much softer version on Tanzanite's own coat, hand-sewn and hand-stitched, tailored to fit Azurite. On the left side edge was an embroidered 'Love, Tanzanite'. Azurite loved it because Tanzanite made it herself; it was intricate and precise, of which a quartz shouldn't even be capable, and Tanzanite completed it with the light and sure touch she employed whenever needed or wanted, that Azurite endlessly admired. The couple wore their keepsakes every day.

-XXX-

 _ **White Out**_

Tanzanite, Azurite, Thulite, and Sphene received an urgent call for a difficult undertaking but a standard mission for them by this point: a monster attack then a mine collapse. It was a very dangerous search and rescue, and if at all possible, recovery mission. Many of the gems were unsure how the colony would even survive such plight.

The 4 gems went right into action. Sphene made contact with the green and yellow tech gems amongst the trapped. Azurite controlled and cleared the rubble and debris out of the path to the trapped gems. Once there, Thulite repaired the ravaged drills and burrowing machines the other gems used to get underground. Tanzanite sheltered all the poofed gems in her coat for safety and aided the cracked and shaken quartz soldiers, one of whom was the colony's leader, White Agate, in rounding all the other gems. When another horde of monsters emerged from deeper in the cave, Tanzanite and Azurite engaged them to defend the others while Sphene and Thulite secured an escape, and defeated them in short order. This drew out a much larger beast that was obviously directing or maybe even controlling the smaller ones; Azurite and Tanzanite simply had a short dance into each other, and their fusion made quick work of it.

It was all perfunctory after that. The several green and yellow tech gems, the few quartz soldiers as well as the two cracked ones, the dozen poofed gems, and the leader White Agate were escorted safely back to the colony and then healed to full strength shortly afterward, with not one loss. The colony rejoiced at the successful mission, and showered the four gems with praise and thanks for their incredible work. White Agate was less enthused however, having witnessed their methods firsthand; as soon as the group left the planet, White Agate made contact with their superiors…

A short time afterward, the team was in transit to one of their planets when their dossier blared from an urgent, high-priority update, a summons for a special visit from a very high-ranking official: White Pearl! Also, White Pearl specifically asked to meet Tanzanite in private! They all let out audible gasps when they saw it. White Pearl was a rather storied figure in the entire White Diamond realm; Whenever White Diamond had a message or decree, White Pearl was the face they saw and the voice they heard. She was _the_ sign of authority in the domain. As such, meeting her in person was a surreal experience.

Tanzanite had to shield her eyes upon first entering White Pearl's presence. A bright white flash assaulted her eyes as she entered the room where White Pearl waited. Tanzanite was then taken aback at the pearl's appearance. White Pearl wore a flowing white top with loose white pants, a short lace shawl over her shoulders, and most strikingly, a sheer white veil that covered her eyes, stopping right at her pointed nose. Every other pearl Tanzanite had ever seen was scantily-clad per her patron's taste, but White Pearl's top had a color difference that only suggested a plunging neckline. Otherwise, she looked downright elegant and regal. This flawless air however had one off aspect, a hairline fracture; seen slightly through her veil, White Pearl didn't have the big expressive light-blue eyes of every other Pearl, but hers were almost uniform white and largely blank. Ultimately, the news that White Pearl had come to deliver: the group was being called to Homeworld for an immediate gem-to-gem, face-to-face, conference … with White Diamond herself!

-XX-

As their ship neared Homeworld, Azurite pulled Tanzanite aside briefly, "Tanzanite… Are you sure about this whole thing?"

Tanzanite sensed her partner's apprehension, "I'm … not sure what you mean? Is something wrong?"

"I mean … this whole thing is just giving me chills. I'm trying to but I just can't push off this … terrible feeling. Do you feel any of that too?"

"Well, I didn't but I do now. What brought this on?"

"I'm not sure; it's just… Well, first of all, we're actually going to meet our Diamond, White Diamond! She wants to see us personally. We didn't know that was even possible, let alone it would ever happen. We've never even seen what she looks like and I'm not sure any gem ever has. I know I should be overjoyed but … something about this is … really shaking me down."

Tanzanite tenderly put her hands on her lover's shoulders to reassure her … and herself. "That is very serious, and you're right about a lot of that. Still, I think we… No, we will be fine. We're an elite squadron. We haven't failed a mission in 3000 years. Our region is the safest in White Diamond's entire domain. Her Perfections surely knows all our efforts are in her name. At the very least, we should be fine." Azurite was still visibly apprehensive, so Tanzanite went to a sure method to relax her: she swiftly scooped the deep blue gem up into her arms and gave her a rapid smattering of light kisses on her cheek, neck, and on her chest around her gem, drawing surprised delighted giggles. "Everything's going to okay, right?"

"Okay, okay, okay…" Azurite lightly tapped Tanzanite's shoulder to get her stop and had to catch her breath after her delighted shrieks. "We should be fine. But I'm going to get you back for cheating to win that discussion."

"I'm hoping you will," Tanzanite teased.

Azurite settled into the comfort of her paramour, lacing her fingers into Tanzanite's hair and gazing into her eyes. "No matter what this is, though, I love you. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Tanzanite stopped and smiled to give Azurite a soft, short, sweet kiss. "I love you so much too, every single bit of you."

-XX-

The four companion gems had finally made it to Homeworld and now were on an elevator heading for the throne room, literally rising to meet their diamond, _the_ White Diamond. Tanzanite and Azurite were huddled close together, tenderly holding hands. Thulite was in the midst of a silent fervor after taking all the structures and fixtures while thinking of the inner workings of all the things they'd be seen on Homeworld. Sphene was practically beside herself with glee, downright giddy about all the possibilities…

"A promotion?!" Sphene had been wondering aloud almost the whole way, "Maybe even personal assistants to White Diamonds herself?! Or maybe even company commanders, teaching hosts of Gems our techniques and secrets to success?!"

As the elevator began to slow, Tanzanite gave some last-minute prep, "Alright, everyone, this is our Diamond. Let's make sure we're at our most professional."

Sphene calmed herself down. Thulite stood up straight. Tanzanite and Azurite let go of and slightly stepped away from each other. Finally, elevator stopped and the doors slid open. It was an incredibly long walk down the aisle to the throne, and there sat with her legs crossed, towering over everything else, was White Diamond. Long pristine white robes covered her body almost completely, save her hands and feet. Her head was adorned by a spiky headdress with a veil that covered her face, leaving only her lips and chin exposed. White Pearl watched unmoving, standing at the side of the throne, her hands steepled in front of her chest. It was very hard not to be in awe of the sight of them and, as the four gems found out, along with that came a sense of fear, the gravity of the situation getting heavier with each step. The four gems got to a respectful distance and knelt and bowed before them…

Tanzanite spoke, "Our Diamond, we are here, as you summoned."

White Pearl addressed them, "Please stand…"

As the four gems did so, Tanzanite offered, "We are ready to serve you however you request, Your Perfection."

That request seemed to be ignored as White Pearl said, "You have been monitored for quite some time now. There are questions that need to be answered."

"Anything you ask…" Tanzanite quickly responded.

"Sphene…" White Pearl turned her attention. "What is your distinction?"

Sphene cleared her throat before reciting, "Sphene. Class Green; Facet 7; Cut 4VC…"

"Your directive is to monitor and maintain the electrical systems of your ship and yet you also act as … the ship's pilot?"

"Yes, My Diamond…" A sharp damning feeling shot through her. She quickly added, "W-With my knowledge of the ship's capabilities and system functions, I am able to pilot in the most optimal way possible, getting the most speed, power, and maneuverability with the least amount of energy loss and strain on the ship."

Tanzanite vouched even further, "I assigned her to the responsibility when I found out she had the ability for it. It has helped us serve you more and better, My Diamond."

"Thulite…" White Pearl simply continued on, neither her nor White Diamond giving any indication of feeling at all, "Your directive is to keep physical maintenance of the ship, to fix, salvage, and recover… And you too routinely aid in missions?"

"I stay focused on my directive at all times. Everything I do is related to repair, recovery, and/or salvage. I fix everything in my power to repair, whether it's a machine or … a colony supply line. I salvage anything that has worth, whether it be engine parts or … communication between distant groups of gems. I recover anything that has been lost or is in desperate demand, whether it's a lost booster or stolen Homeworld equipment or even … my squad mates' health. I assure you that my cause is always the forefront of my actions."

"Hmm… Azurite. Your sector is the northeast quadrant. That 6-planet patrol is, as evidence suggests, a relatively quiet sector?"

Azurite replied with a hint of pride, "It is because we make it so, My Diamond. We are diligent in our patrols and protection. We compete our missions swiftly and decisively. We respond immediately to calls for aid and assistance. We work tirelessly to make our sector exemplary and pristine, in your name, in your honor." Tanzanite couldn't help but get a shiver of excitement from Azurite's proclamation.

"Indeed." White Pearl then simply continued, "Now, about your ship… What has happened to it?"

Their ship… It was the one thing they were most proud of, their crowning achievement as a group. At first, Sphene had been making modifications to their standard issue ship then Thulite started helping out and then Azurite and Tanzanite started having ideas. Eventually, however, the mods started to get in the way, so they decided to completely overhaul it … together. So, one day, they took two decommissioned ships from their colonies, landed in a remote part of their territory, and went to work. They disassembled all three ships, using the other two ships for parts, and rebuilt their shop from the ground up! They didn't make get to make things otherwise but this ship was theirs. It was unique, it was new, it was excellent, and it was all theirs, a true testament to what they could do and they were as a union…

Sphene looked at Tanzanite, who motioned for her press forward, then spoke cautiously, "It has been completely retooled and refitted. With its structural, mechanical, and electrical modifications, it is bigger, stronger, thoroughly optimized in every aspect. You would be hard-pressed to find a better ship for your use, My Diamond."

Thulite added, "Its structural integrity and durability has been increased immensely while maintaining speed and maneuverability. It can take hits, even for other ships; get into and out of any scenario and still keep going."

Azurite chimed in, "With our ship, we've found multiple solutions to complex issues. We've responded faster, reached farther, and succeeded more. We've even completed missions without even leaving the ship. The very sight of it is enough to proclaim that your will and your servants are present."

Tanzanite punctuated it all, "Your Perfection, we would be honored to show its specifications and capabilities to you and your engineers, so that it can help improve other sections of the fleet or even for it to be mass-produced if it so pleases you."

White Diamond and White Pearl were silent and still … and stayed that way for just long enough to make them all very uncomfortable. White Diamond shifted slightly in her throne but otherwise there was still no indication of feeling or really any reaction in either direction…

White Pearl finally said, "Lastly, there is your use of … fusion. You all use it quite extensively, particularly you two … Tanzanite and Azurite." She said their names covered with slightly acidic accusation.

Azurite stayed composed but became deathly still; Tanzanite knew that meant she was terrified. The red quartz sprang into response, "Fusion is indispensable to our success. With our fusion, we've completed missions and objectives that many Gems thought impossible. We've saved countless Gems, protected many Homeworld operations, and defeated a vast amount of enemies dangerous and terrifying, all without loss or even a lot of energy usage, all thanks to fusion."

"And about the stories that you would fuse outside of missions, with you two even…" a hint of disgust painted the end of question, "… remaining fused for long stretches of time…?"

Tanzanite stopped herself looking at Azurite and decided to conceal their more personal reasons in her answer, "Familiarity cuts down the time needed for the fusion and prolongs the time until separation. The practice makes it better."

There was a long pause before White Pearl spoke next… "Duly noted… Now then, is there anything you would like to say, anything you wish to be known?"

Tanzanite at the three other gems by her side, as they'd always been, and spoke from the very depths of herself, "Our Diamond, it is an honor to serve you. We have resolved every crisis that has occurred on our watch. We have conquered every enemy that came against our colonies and us. We have guarded every colony, project, and Gem in our region several times over. We have accepted every challenge, and we have never failed mission. We have done all this and we will do even more in your name, for your honor and glory, for your desires and wishes. We do everything for you, Your Perfection." With that, all four gems bowed to White Diamond.

"Indeed so…" White Pearl finally said. White Diamond began to move her hands as White Pearl continued, "Very well then, this has cleared every ambiguity and suspicion about your team. Thank you for your responses and illumination on these subjects. This clarity is very helpful and greatly appreciated."

The sound of something like clinking metal chain slightly entered the area, the source still unseen. Suddenly, there was a rush of activity to Tanzanite and Azurite's left. Tanzanite barely registered what was happening. The next sounds were the blunt squish of impact with a body simultaneously with a gasping grunt of pain and shock from whomever was attacked. Tanzanite, filled with dread, slowly looked over to see…Thulite was impaled through the chest by a lance head on a long chain. The other end of the chain was in the right hand of White Diamond. Sphene, Azurite, and Tanzanite stood still with horror, Azurite reflexively grabbing Tanzanite's hand. Eyes wide from pain and utterly frozen, Thulite tried to speak but couldn't muster anything. The slightest of pulls from White Diamond and the lance-chain retracted … ripping through Thulite on the way back. The pink-and-white gem burst in a cloud of smoke, and her gem was left behind rattling to a stop on the ground. Sphene was instantly inconsolable, and, as would happen when she was under duress, she began talking very rapidly…

"But, My Diamond, why? We did everything we were told. We followed every objective. We went above and beyond our call of duty…"

Still in shock, Tanzanite could only call out weakly, "Sphene…"

"My Diamond, I don't understand. What did we do wrong? We've done more than anything asked of us. Where did we fail? What was our crime? Why this punish—"

Meanwhile, White Diamond slightly shook her left hand then opened it; another chained lance rocketed out toward Sphene. Tanzanite saw this attack as it sped past her right in an instant, and for split second, she thought it was almost close enough to… There was another impact crunch as the lance struck Sphene in the nose … and kept going. Her stream of words came to a horrifically abrupt stop as her body crumbled the ground. POOF! Her gem fell to the floor with muted chime. Tanzanite and Azurite were now unconsciously holding each other, too shaken and disturbed to notice one of White Diamond's lances separating into 4 parts to form a claw.

The claw grabbed Azurite, the deep blue gem letting out a scream of absolute fear, pulled her close to the throne, and held her up in the air. The feeling of having Azurite ripped from her arms filled Tanzanite with every terrible feeling imaginable and emotionally electrified her back into action. She sprang forward to the steps of the throne, fell to her hands and knees, and bowed her head and hands to the ground…

Tanzanite desperately pleaded, "My Diamond, please forgive me. This is all my fault. Mine Alone. I was the Leader. I should've stopped. Please! Please don't punish them for my failure. If you should punish anyone, it should be me. Please punish me not them…" The claw squeezed, the middle of the claw over her chest, over her gem. She shrieked in intense pain as her body started cracking. Tears of helplessness and despair welled up and filled Tanzanite's eyes. "Azurite, no… Please, Your Perfection, I beg you! We've served you every day our lives, and I would serve a thousand lifetimes more. I'll go anywhere, do anything, or fight anyone. Please, My Diamond, please…" White Diamond remained silent through Tanzanite's now-cracking voice and flowing tortured tears. "My Diamond, I beg you. To your strength, to your wisdom, I beg you with every regret possible. Please, please don't shatter Azurite. I'm just a lowly gem to your majesty. I'm pleading you have mercy on her. If there's any way, any way imaginable. Please, My Diamond… I beg you, please…"

White Diamond slowly slammed the claw shut. Azurite's body exploded into a shower of sparks of light as she disappeared. Tanzanite, eyes wide and mouth ajar in utter disbelief and anguish, watched in seeming slow motion as the claw opened and dropped the now broken Azurite, the gem falling to the ground … in seven lifeless shards. The red quartz crawled over and gingerly scooped up her lost lover's shattered pieces into her hands. Part of her wanted scream but she couldn't make any sounds. Mostly, she wanted shattered right then and there. All Tanzanite can do was kneel, staring and trembling, awash in unbelievable agony…

"Stand up, quartz. You debase yourself…" White Pearl's voice almost came as a shock breaking the silence. Tanzanite closed her hands around Azurite's remains and slowly stood but her head stayed down, her hair obscuring her face. White Pearl continued, "For the crimes you and your team committed against the Diamond Authority and Homeworld, you too should be broken. However, because of your record, you will be given one more chance. Succeed, and all shall be forgiven. Do well enough, and you might be given a brand new team. Do you understand?"

That decree rang in Tanzanite's ears. It triggered something to the red quartz that gave her a clearer picture of what just occurred. She slowly looked up at White Diamond and White Pearl, her eyes still wide but now amplified by realization. "I… I … understand."

White Pearl then said something about a planet called Earth. Tanzanite wasn't really hearing much of anything at the point. There was only what she did next. She slowly left while watching White Pearl prism Sphene and Thulite's gems in White Diamond bubbles and teleported them away, probably for permanent stasis. She looked at White Diamond and White Pearl one last time as she left on the elevator, and, as she descended away from them, activated her ship's 'Emergency Stealth Escape' protocol, sending it a good distance out of Homeworld space. She got her mission briefing and coordinates along with a new regulation ship, and left Homeworld; she took one look at the mission details then destroy them save the frankly remote coordinates. She waited until the Homeworld ship's warp was in range then set the ship's autopilot for the nearest asteroid field as she warped onto her idling ship. Tanzanite sped away as the Homeworld ship collided into and was thusly battered, torn, and exploded by the asteroid.

Tanzanite set her ship's autopilot to the coordinates for Earth, and then turned to her now-empty ship. The sight and quiet of it lifted away her haze, and the sheer weight of everything that just happened crushed down on her. Everything she'd done, trusted to be true and reliable, and believed in meant nothing. Everything and everyone she cared about was gone. Her team, her friends, her family were destroyed, devastated by the one she was supposed to believe in and love without a thought. Thulite and Sphene were likely to be prismed or suffer even worse for good; she would never talk, laugh, fight, build, or see them again. And Azurite… Tanzanite took out Azurite's shards out of her coat; no one else seemed to notice she saved them. Azurite, Tanzanite's loved one, was truly gone, violently and nonchalantly shattered to pieces. Tanzanite ached with every inch and from every side. Trembling and grieving, she closed her hands around the shards and held them to her chest as she collapsed to the floor…

-XXX-

The projection started to flicker and shake before finally cutting out, the light beam coming from Tanzanite's gem dissipated. She was leaning forward so her gem on the back of her neck could show her story in recollection, but the red quartz remained hunched over even with the presentation of her memories concluded.

All the Crystal Gems had convened on Tanzanite's ship and were all completely disturbed and dismayed by Tanzanite's story. Peridot had her hands still clasped over her mouth in dreaded anticipation; she'd deduced what likely happened as soon as she saw how Tanzanite and her team acted, and sadly she was correct. Lapis could only shake her head at the tragic events as she now knew she definitely understood what Tanzanite was suffering. Amethyst hid her eyes behind her hair and balled her fists in anger, and Pearl folded her arms around herself in discomfort, both disturbed by Homeworld's reaction and, for Pearl, the reminder of how it treats dissenters … even the loyal ones. Garnet's hands clenched as she shed angry and hurt tears. Steven and Connie were both crying, their hands having found each other's halfway through, and they both streamed tears through to the end especially during Tanzanite's distraught, desperate pleading.

The reason for the shaky end to memory was all too clear: she remained doubled over in her chair, heaving from long dry breaths to short skipping one and back again. Though she clasped her hands over her mouth to stifle the sound, Tanzanite's full-body grief-wracked sobs were too clear. She clenched her eyes shut but tears still flowed down her face. Tanzanite was engulfed in the kind of crying that penetrated and choked up anyone who heard it. Steven and Connie hugged her either side as Tanzanite had been broken down to agonized, mournful weeping.

End Chapter

 _ **A/N:**_ **Whew, that was a lot. There might be some grammar issues in there, so please let me know, and I fix them shortly. I hope you liked it, and thank you for making through to the end. Again, I'm sorry for taking so long; along with my life getting crazy, there was a lot of this. The next chapter is much shorter, so I'm hoping to get that one to you much faster. Anyway, thanks again for giving this a chance, thank you for waiting, I hope you liked it, and I hope you come back for more. And, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.**


	3. Love of the Universe

_Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe or any of its characters. However, Rebecca Sugar is free to use my characters if she so wishes or if that is at all possible…_

 _ **A/N:**_ **Hello, fellow readers and writers. Thank you for stopping by to give this a look, and I really hope you like it. First off, if the attitudes and behavior of my OCs looks odd, I assure you that Peridot has the same questions. She will bring them up. In any case, now that all is mostly laid bare, it's up to our heroes to step in. This chapter is one of the short but important variety, so let's get into it. And here … we … go:**

Steven Universe: Crystallize Red

Love of the Universe

Steven hadn't stopped thinking about it. He just couldn't stop seeing Tanzanite's story or hearing her crying. It was so much so that he couldn't really sleep that night afterward. He couldn't help that her pain hurt him as well. The young quartz had to do something, and first thing the next morning, he would…

Steven walked around the beach to Tanzanite's ship, going right up to the entrance and cautiously knocked … but no answer came. He then noticed the small globed speaker next to the door.

"Tanzanite…" The young Universe spoke into the speaker as he pressed and held down a button on its side, "Can I come in? Can I talk to you please?"

A long silence followed… Finally, the door slowly opened. Steven entered and made his way through, vaguely retracing his steps from the night before. He walks up the stairs immediately in front of the door and down the hall past the door with the green circle on it. He continued down that hall and took a right, just past a set of pink-and-white stairs leading down further into the ship. He came to the long hallway with a door right in the middle, a red shape and a blue shape at its center. He walked the hall, stopping at the door, made a left to see the bridge in front of him. So, he entered to the hub to find who he wanted to help.

Tanzanite was slumped in the captain's chair in the center, staring out at the ocean and the recently awakened day. Except for the incoming rays of the outside, not a single light was on. Steven approached to face to see her obscured in the darkness except her platinum hair and golden hair.

"Is something wrong, little gem?" Tanzanite's voice was soft and apparently weakened, "Are you alright?"

"Actually, I came here to ask you the same thing… Tanzanite, I'm so sorry that you lost your family. And… I wanted to help somehow…"

Tanzanite took a long skipping breath, "I'm not sure there's anything you can do, I'm afraid."

"Then… I'll just sit here with you a while, just in case you want to talk … or if you need me to get something for you or … if you just need a hug. I can do that for you."

Tanzanite sat up a little at the offer, completely caught off-guard. The red quartz looked into those big eyes of Steven's, and saw his earnestness and compassion, his hope even. This small, very young gem… His offer truly surprised her with its empathy, and gave her a slight softening ache in her chest…

"On one condition…" Tanzanite finally said, "The moment you want to leave, you leave. You just get up and go … okay?"

Steven nodded in agreement. Tanzanite waved him forward, and after he obliged, scooped him up and sat him on her large lap. And so, they sat together in silent vigil… Tanzanite quickly noticed a warm pleasant aura about the young gem, and along with his thoughtful sentiment, having him close did lessen her pain by a step.

Nevertheless, Tanzanite's mind fell back into the cycle in which she currently suffered. She tried to think of everything and nothing, but inevitably something would come to mind that led to one of her teammates. With that came the wave: not having near, then missing them and how she lost them, then to never having them near again. It always led her back into tears. However, now Steven was there to comfort her, which he attempted without fail whether it was holding her hand, giving a hug, or some combination of things. A couple of times when Tanzanite broke down severely, she noticed Steven crying as well, and somehow that only made her hurt even more. So she would quickly pull herself together; only one of them need to be that despondent. This whole sequence of silence, dreadful grieving by Tanzanite, and necessary comfort from Steven … carried on for hours.

Then, around midday, a vibration and a chime emanated from Steven's pocket.

"You should get that." Tanzanite suggested. The young gem looked up at her in confusion and even some guilt, prompting her to give a reassuring look, "It's okay. Answer your call."

With shreds of guilt still floating in his eyes, Steven took out his phone and answered, "Hello… Oh, hi, Connie… No, I'm not feeling any better either… I'm actually with her right now… Really? I'll ask her…" Steven lifted the phone from his ear and turned to Tanzanite, "Connie wants to talk to you, but she says it's okay if you don't want to talk."

Tanzanite gingerly took the unfamiliar device offered to her. It was obviously an audio/visual communicator though she found its vertically rectangular shape and minimalist design odd. It was pretty much just a handheld screen. She held it up to her ear as Steven did. "Hello?"

"Hello, Tanzanite." A young female voice came from the device. "This is Connie Maheswaran."

Tanzanite has to rotate the phone first as she had it upside down, "Yes, I heard. I'll be honest, I'm not sure why you'd want to talk to me."

Connie's dejected mood, perceptible in her voice, echoed Steven's. "Well… I want to offer my deepest condolences; I am so sorry that you suffered such a terrible loss." Tanzanite was struck speechless as Connie offered, "And I want to help in any way I can. So, whenever I come over, if you need to talk or anything else, I'll be readily available."

The red quartz looked the phone in pleasant shock. This one wasn't even a gem, and yet… She looked down and saw a smile on Steven's face, as if he already knew what Connie had said and were simply seconding it. Tanzanite felt a comforting heat bloom in her and radiate outward through the rest of her. She let out a brief chuckle of disbelief as she felt her eyes well up…

"You don't have to do that." Tanzanite's voice came out shaky. She cleared her throat and blinked away beginning tears before continuing. "But you're a sweetheart for offering. Thank you for thinking of me. You and Steven are a rare grade."

Tanzanite handed the phone back to Steven, and after some banter between the two friends, they ended the call… Time passed again as the two quartzes continued to sit together, and eventually the sun began to set. Tanzanite soon felt Steven leaning back on her more. At first, she thought nothing of it, but then he stopped moving. She took quick and careful analysis of the little gem: his eyes were closed; he made minimal movement; his breathing was perceivably slowed… Ah, that's right; she remembered he was half-organic and thus … he was asleep. Tanzanite cradled the young gem in her arms, resting his head on her shoulder, stood up, and headed out of the ship for the temple, even leaving her coat behind.

Tanzanite again cautiously approached the front door, made even more precarious by having one arm carrying someone else, and again Garnet answered the door unprompted. Pearl was not far behind, and practically ran forward when she saw the two quartzes at the door…

"Oh, thank goodness. I was starting to get worried." Pearl expressed, holding her hands out for Steven.

Tanzanite gingerly transferred Steven into Pearl's arm. "Oh, I'd never let anything happen to him. Besides, we didn't do much anyway."

There was brief, heavy silence before Pearl spoke again, "Tanzanite… I owe you an apology. I apologize for being so judgmental of you, for being so accusatory, and … for attacking you."

Tanzanite simply said, "You were right to be suspicious."

"I … was?"

Tanzanite quickly realized how her phrasing sounded, "Oh, no, what I mean is I didn't give you much reason to trust me. I apologize for not being more forthcoming."

"No, I understand. And … I never thanked you for helping us with those gems, especially the ones you found on your own. It was an incredible thing you did for us, and we appreciate it… How did you get so … efficient at them, if you don't mind?"

"Those monsters? Oh, I've been tracking and bursting those things for centuries now."

"You … have? For centuries? In White Diamond's territory?"

"Yeah, in fact, I… I was a little relieved to see them here. At least, I know how to deal with _that_ problem."

Pearl's voice softened in empathy, "I am so sorry for what happened to you, for what you're going through … for White Diamond betraying you and your team."

Tanzanite looked away, taking long, pained shuttering breaths. "Thank you. I … appreciate it." Tanzanite then started to leave.

"Tanzanite… It's not your fault." Garnet called out. Tanzanite stopped and slowly looked back to her as she continued, "What Homeworld did, what White Diamond did, was horrible. You and your family didn't deserve it, and it's not your fault."

"You know … I keeping telling myself that last one, but... the fact I'm here completely fine and they're…" The red quartz had to stop as she started to choke up. She began taking deep breaths and clenching her eyes, trying to hold herself together. After the wave of emotion passed, she rubbed her eyes and cleared her throat to send it away before continuing, "I try to tell myself that, but I just can't believe it…" Again, she started to walk away but stopped on her own this time, "One thing though: there's probably something Steven likes or likes to do or … something he gets as a reward for doing good things. Could you please give him two of them; tell him it's for helping me, please?"

Pearl smiled at the still-sleeping Steven, while Garnet said with a small smile of her own, "We can definitely do that."

Tanzanite nodded and vaulted over the railing…

" _ **Greg"**_

Time passed, a unit of time called 'weeks' according to Steven and Connie, and Tanzanite was now at the point of emotional exhaustion. The weight and pressure of the crushing cloud of grief as well feeling only it with little interruption was just so much, she feared it might actually crush her. She needed a respite for her sanity; the despair would still be there but at least she could do something else while dealing with it. So, she got up, left her ship, and started walking…

The normally sunny place, or 'Beach City' as they called it, was covered in dark greyish clouds. It was so applicable to her mood that, for a second, she wondered if she'd somehow caused it. Tanzanite naturally came first to the Crystal Gem's house, but there was no comfort there; with no lights on and no hint of motion inside, it was obvious from the steps there was no one inside. With that, she kept walking, eventually passing through a metal gate and heading into the city…

Entering the town, the red quartz continued on, mentally following directions to a place Steven said she could find another kind presence. The natives all seemed to know something; virtually no one was outside with almost all of them seeming to hold up in their lodgings. Tanzanite deduced it was probably for the best. Based on the sizes of their doors, she was a great deal bigger than them and she didn't know they would react to contact with her. BRRR! A flash of light and a loud rumble overhead shattered the gloomy quiet. An electrical discharge Tanzanite reasoned, and it was an apparent natural occurrence on this world. Soon, drops of liquid began to slowly fall, the red quartz holding out her hand to catch some of it as she walked on, and the liquid itself was cool and pleasant like their ocean. This was 'rain', if she remembered the name correctly.

Tanzanite reached into her coat, and pulled out a small glass container. Inside it were seven dim deep blue shards, the same shards that Tanzanite had saved and kept with her ever since that day on Homeworld. They represented all that remained of her life before then; they were all that remained of Azurite…

"You really would have loved it here." Tanzanite rued as rain fell on the glass.

She simply tucked the shards away again as she went, the downpour growing into a deluge… Soon, she came to her destination: a one-level building with a pink neon sign over its door of a long-nosed creature with the words 'It's a Wash' inside of it. One of the vertical doors on its outside was up with a large purple-and-orange rectangular vehicle inside. The rain was quite turbulent now, so she found her way inside. There was no one to be seen in this place either, so, for a moment, she decided to simply watch the rainfall. That's when she got the idea to do something she hadn't done in a while. Usually, it was only when she was alone or with her family, but in need of some kind of break from her mind and really being alone, it wouldn't do much harm. She found and pulled out a large box nearby, sat down, and summoned a long necked stringed instrument with six strings.

'Oh, she's getting ready to play,' Sphene excitedly whispered. 'Really? Great, I was hoping she would,' Thulite reacted. 'Oh, I've missed her music so much," Azurite added. Tanzanite could almost hear them. The red quartz shook the feeling off as she stretched her fingers, and began picking at the strings, playing a song.

Greg heard the thunder and lightning as well as the rapidly-increasing rainfall from the back room, and was unsure if he'd left the garage door open, so stopped work to check. He approached the garage to the sound of someone playing music. An intense dread and fear gripped him and a chill ran through his body at the thought of an intruder. Slowly, he inched toward the garage then entered to see a large woman sheathed in a black coat sitting, watching the rain, and playing a somber tune on a guitar. He could easily tell from her size and the waterfall of wild white hair that she was out of the ordinary. Greg tried to stay quiet as he approached but he didn't get very close before she sensed him, stopping playing and turning to see him. Again, Greg was struck by her appearance, this time by her solid red skin and the white diamond marking over her eye. She was definitely a Gem.

Tanzanite eyed this new being with the rather rotund midsection and long tresses of brown hair despite the bare top of his head. She then picked up on a resemblance to Steven…

"Hello. Are you the owner of this place?" Tanzanite said, offering her hand. "I'm Tanzanite, an acquaintance of Steven Universe…"

Relieved by the pleasant greeting, Greg finished his approach to shake her hand, saying, "Oh, great. Nice to meet you; I'm Greg Universe, Steven's father."

As Greg sits down in a lawn chair beside her, Tanzanite picked up on his words, "Father? So, you're the native who loved Rose Quartz…?"

"Yep, I'm the very lucky guy."

"You have a very lovely child."

"Yes, I'm very proud of him. Again, I'm very lucky."

Tanzanite nodded with a smile before saying, "I didn't disturb you with my playing, I hope."

"Oh, absolutely not. In fact, I'd love to hear more, if you don't mind an audience." Tanzanite began playing again before Greg continued to speak, "So, _you're_ the Tanzanite I've heard about?"

"You've heard of me?"

"Steven told me about you … and what happened to you…" Tanzanite's playing slowed as she gave him a crestfallen look. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want. I'll even completely forget the whole thing…"

"No, it's… It's fine. No harm done…" Tanzanite then started playing at regular speed again.

"You mind if I play some music too?" Greg asked after some silence. Tanzanite shook her head in the negative. Greg retrieved his guitar and began playing along with her, improvising around her tune. "You know, you're very good."

"Thank you… But, honestly, it's not as good as it looks; I don't really know the notes or chords. I just learned some songs by listening to them over and over and replicating the melody."

"You learned to play songs with no training, just by ear and touch? Some of the best musicians ever can't do that. I think you should give yourself some credit."

Tanzanite slightly chuckled, "And I think you're giving me too much credit. Truthfully speaking, I'm not even certain of the instrument's name. I've been calling it a string singer if asked, but that sounds like a weapon or a nickname… What do your people call it?"

"Well, we call it a guitar."

"Hmm… Sounds good. I think I'll adopt that name: guitar… Thank you, father Universe."

"Don't mention it. And you can just call me Greg… So, how long you been playing?"

"Oh, only for the past 2 or 3 centuries…" A smile grew on her face, "But I love it. My team loves it too, especially my Azurite. Her eyes would light up every time I'd start…" Her smile very soon faded and her playing slowed again.

Greg tried to shift the conversation, "I know what you mean. The first time I met Rose was when she came to one of my concerts; she liked listening to my music too."

Tanzanite, at this point however, was at her wits end. She didn't even know if what she was about to ask would help but she was too desperate now to not try. "You've … been through this before, right? You're going through this too… Maybe … you can give me some advice… What do you do when something reminds you of her … like something she liked to do or something she used to eat or music she liked? Do you do it all time or listen to it all the time … or do you never touch those things again? Or what if you have a problem you know she could've solved in a heartbeat? What do you do ... What do you tell yourself … when you miss her so much?"

Greg sighed and took a long moment to think before answering as best he could. "You know, I can't imagine what it would be like your entire family. As for losing the one you love… It's very hard to lose the person you swore everything to… the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with, who can't imagine living without… the person you would die for, only to lose them too soon… You feel worthless, like you broke every promise you ever made to them. And, in many ways, there's not really anything you can do to make those feelings go away.

But, for me … I remember every good thing we had together. I remember everything I loved about her. I do all the things we loved every chance I get, and I turn her music all the way up. And… I try to remember that, even though she's not around, she probably wouldn't want me to stop living too."

Tanzanite had to stop playing and cover her face as several sobs rose too strongly to stop. Greg meanwhile, scooted his chair closer to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Eventually, it passed, so she cleared her throat and wiped her eyes before finally being able to reply, "Thank you, Greg. I'll keep it in mind…" A small smile crept onto her face as a thought came to her, "I'm really glad this is one way you and Steven are alike."

Greg chuckled, taking his hand back, before thinking of some more advice, "Oh, one more thing… Try not to isolate yourself for too long. Friends or at least some friendly people can really be a big help when dealing with this. They did for me… The Crystal Gems have lost a lot too, and I know they can relate to you. I'm sure they'll do whatever they can to help too."

"Hmm, I suppose you're right. I'll … try that." Tanzanite mentally took note of Greg's last point, then an idea sprang to mind, "Greg, you're obviously good with a guitar. Do you think… I mean would you be willing to teach me how to play guitar properly?"

Completely caught off-guard, Greg rubbed the back of his head in modesty, saying, "Oh, uh … sure. I'd be honored." With that, Tanzanite turned her chair toward him and waited. It took Greg a moment to realize, "Wait, you want to start now?!"

Tanzanite snickered, looking out at the still-raging storm before looking back to Greg. "You weren't planning of going anywhere else, were you?"

"Well, you got me there… Okay, we'll start now."

"Great. And Greg…" She gave him one more smile, saying, "Thank you, honestly, for everything."

Greg smiled with a nod, and they started going through the chords.

End Chapter

 _ **A/N**_ **: And there you have it. Again, I apologize for taking so long, but thank you for sticking with this. Thank you again for reading, I really hope you liked it, and I really hope you come back to read more. Next, we'll get to the other gems along with some more, interesting background, so please stay tuned. Once more, thank you so very much, and as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.**


	4. Peridot and Lapis

_Disclaimer: I do not own Steven Universe, its characters, or its storylines. However, Rebecca Sugar is free to use my characters, if she ever wanted…_

 _ **A/N:**_ **Hello, fellow writers and readers. Thank you for stopping by and reading, and I really hope you like it. Please feel free to leave a word; any and all feedback is welcome. Now, we're getting into some explanation and background, and A LOT of talking. Depending on what happens in the show, this one is the most likely to push me into AU. I hope that doesn't happen and my ideas are at least plausible/possible. In any case, there a lot of talking, and a few questions answered, so let's get to it. Again, thank you for reading and I hope you like it. And here … we … go:**

Steven Universe: Crystallize Red

Peridot and Lapis

CAMPING TRIP! That was the exclamation made by Steven to Tanzanite that doubled as an invitation. Despite having only done it a smattering of times before, she naturally didn't want to disappoint him or isolate herself, and so she accepted. Steven went on to explain that it wasn't a true camping trip but a family wide sleepover at some place called 'The Barn', where Peridot and Lapis Lazuli live… Walking up the path to their destination, Steven and Connie were running in front, laughing, joking, and bantering. Tanzanite was right behind them with several stuffed packs and bags on her back. For her, it wasn't even close to being heavy, so her hands unconsciously ended up in her coat pockets.

Soon, they came upon rows and rows of corn. Scattered among them were what looked like piles of debris, vehicles, tools, and various items of differing use. However, the angles and positions of items within those piles suggested their placement was intentional. Tanzanite couldn't help but wonder if all of these were some kind of- what was the word- 'art'. After that, they came to the main building: a big red building with a large silver domed cylinder coming up through its slanted roof, the back end of a vehicle that was obviously decorated by someone jutting out over the front door.

Lapis Lazuli was sitting in her truck perch above the door. Peridot and Amethyst were in the front of the barn with Peridot excitedly showing off something to Amethyst, another more recently-constructed metal mélange…

"Hey, guys, we're here!" Steven said as he ran up to the gems.

"Hi, Peridot. Hi, Amethyst. Hi, Lapis." Connie added, as Steven hugged both of their smaller gems.

Lapis then flew down and hugged Steven as he asked, "Hey, where's Pearl and Garnet?"

Amethyst relayed, "Garnet said they had to investigate something first, but they'd be here before dark."

Tanzanite finally caught up to everyone, and Lapis, Peridot, and Amethyst all stopped and looked uneasily at the red quartz. Steven and Connie picked up on the awkward silence between the four gems, and Tanzanite could also feel a tension pulling on everyone, not an uncommon reaction to her.

Tanzanite motioned toward the metal medley next to Peridot, "Is that your latest piece?"

"It is my latest meepmorp, yes." Peridot very cautious answered.

"Hmm… What's it about?"

Peridot explained, "It is an exploration of compatibility and incompatibility. I wanted to make it so that if you took the pieces individually, they would look incongruous and ill-suited for each other. However, if you put them together, they make one cohesive whole. It was … inspired by us as Crystal Gems."

"Aww, Peridot." Steven said, stars in his eyes, "That's so sweet."

A smirk of satisfaction grew on Peridot's face, "Well, it was quite ingenious. And the process of creating it was highly informative and enjoyable!" Peridot quickly got even more excited, "I even had to cut some of the metal into the shape I wanted, and even superheated some pieces to bend them into shape."

"She almost set the barn on fire." Lapis deadpanned.

"I did not!" Peridot quickly retorted, indignant, "In my enthusiasm, I merely miscalculated how many things in the barn are flammable. Besides, it barely scorched the floor."

"Well, it looks great." Tanzanite finally complimented.

Awkward silence again fell…

Connie suggested, "Hey, while we wait for Garnet and Pearl, why don't we set up the tents?"

Steven added, "That's a great idea. And we have 3 tents and there's six of us. We can do all of them at once."

With that, they set about setting up the tents: two to one tent with one reading the instructions while the other put it together. Lapis went with Steven; Connie and Amethyst paired off; and finally Peridot and Tanzanite were left with each other, Peridot and Tanzanite setting up the biggest one which was the size of a shed…

Peridot was truly dreading a situation like this. She was very uncomfortable around Tanzanite; usually Peridot could at least quantify a situation, but she couldn't even start to find a possible solution to this. She was only half-certain that the word for Tanzanite's problem was … 'grief'. All evidence suggested she should say or do something, but it was only more disconcerting that no one seemed sure of what to do either. Amethyst especially seemed very perturbed, even irritated, by Tanzanite's presence.

All of this was only compounded by Tanzanite herself. She was completely different than almost every other Quartz she'd ever known or seen. She was already as unique and individualized as the other Crystal Gems, and apparently has been for most of her life. Also, she belonged to White Diamond, whom very few in all of Gemkind knew much about at all. Add in all the ways she violates Homeworld custom, and Peridot was left with no idea how to proceed. Of all the approaches and path she could take, Peridot could only think of one direction to go: away…

"So..." Peridot started, "You served White Diamond, correct?"

Tanzanite eventually answered with a sigh, "I served her, yes."

Peridot, not wanting to sound clinical or interrogatory, tried to soften her tone, "I've … never seen a team configuration like yours. Is it your specific role or is it standard in White Diamond's command?"

Tanzanite stopped, turned, and gave a look to the smaller green gem, stern and questioning. Peridot however found it quite withering. Eventually, Tanzanite raised an intrigued eyebrow and continued working before answering. "Well, as you probably know, White Diamond has the largest territory in all of the Diamond Authority. The thing is… It's actually so big that you can't actually oversee all of it at once. So, there are small groups of gems that are assigned to monitor the multiple sectors of White Diamond's realm. We're called Sentinel groups, although we do a lot of planet patrolling too."

Connie heard and asked, "Oh, so you're sort of a special task force, making sure the whole operation stays connected and cohesive?"

Tanzanite replied and further explained, "Basically yes. The groups are headed up by a Quartz and usually assigned a support group of other gems. However, if a Quartz is projected to be exceptional, like a few others and myself, they're paired with another rare gem as a right-hand lieutenant, a gem like… well, like you, Lapis Lazuli."

Lapis stopped and looked at the red quartz, recoiling at learning something about herself she didn't, something that didn't match her personal experience.

Steven then asked as he processed the new information, "So, you were like the police?"

"We had different approaches depending on the group. Some were literally sentinels, siting smack in the middle of their sector and not really patrolling. Some focused on recon and surveillance, almost never going ground and just watching their planets from space. Some LOVED to use their power for intimidation and lording over surface gems; Agate commanders LOVED that." Steven and Amethyst couldn't help but chuckled at Tanzanite's obvious irritation, though Amethyst quickly stifled hers.

"As for us, we were a response team, planet-hopping to tackle problems and threats colonies couldn't. Honestly, it was only supposed to be Azurite and I because … we rated so high apart by ourselves and together..." Pain rose in Tanzanite's voice and her breathing became labored, "We were just lucky that … Thulite and Sphene were so great…" Tanzanite had to look away but shook her head and sent it away with a cough.

Hoping to change the subject, Steven asked, "Hey, just wondering: have you ever met a Jasper with wild gold eyes and her gem as her nose"

"Steven!" Connie admonished her friend, "Just because they're both quartzes doesn't mean they could've met."

"Pink Diamond's Jasper?" Tanzanite nonchalantly replied, "Oh gem, do I know her!"

Everyone was in shock, Peridot expressing for everyone, "You do? But how?!"

"True, while she is one of my more mad 'sisters', she is a fellow ultimate quartz."

A chorus of gasps and 'whats?!' followed, Amethyst's mouth even dropping open. Again, Peridot asked what everyone else was wondering, "You're an Ultimate Quartz?! There's more than one?!"

"Of course there is. I mean…" Tanzanite lightly pointed to Steven, "You're living with one."

Another chorus of gasps escaped as Steven asked in shock, "I'm… My mom was an ultimate quartz?!"

"Absolutely. I didn't even realize she was the same one until I saw her portrait in your house. Also based on the stories I've been told about her and your abilities… I mean, bring organic life back from near death; yeah, most Rose Quartzes can't do that. Sadly, I never got to meet her in person…" That revelation actually relaxed Amethyst a little. Meanwhile, Tanzanite continued as she fixed the tent. "To be fair to Peridot though, there aren't a lot of us. It takes a unique set of resources and just the right conditions for us to develop, and even then there's a very good chance we still won't reach that quality."

Peridot was rendered speechless and Amethyst looked off into the distance as Connie inquired, "So, how many of you are there? Is there any way for you all to know each other?"

Tanzanite took a moment to remember and revealed, "Upon last count, Pink Diamond had 2, Jasper and Rose Quartz." She motioned to Steven as she said the latter's name. "Even though Jasper got a transfer, Blue Diamond made sure we remembered which gems belonged to Pink Diamond. Blue Diamond has 4. Yellow Diamond has 5. And White Diamond, including me, has 7 … or had, I guess."

Amethyst spoke to Tanzanite for the first time, sounding dejected, "Is there, uh ... an ultimate Amethyst?"

Tanzanite picked up Amethyst's emotion before she answered, "Yes. She's one of Yellow Diamond's, and she is booooooooooring… At least, that's what she wants you think. She's actually wild and crazy, but she's so afraid of losing control, or losing favor, or scaring gems away, she makes herself a TIGHT! WAD!" Tanzanite rethought it a moment then spoke with more empathy, "She crushes the life right out of herself; poor girl."

Noticing how aggrieved Amethyst was about the topic and herself growing more incredulous with each statement, Peridot pressed even more, hoping to get some clarification, "Okay, just a moment. The way you speak about the others suggests that you all are not only aware of each other but completely familiar as a whole, intimately even. How can that be? Homeworld gems are preoccupied with their duties, especially ones of your designation and distinction, and Homeworld gems definitely don't interact with gems of another Diamond unless necessary. So … how?"

"Of course, you wouldn't know." Tanzanite muttered to herself, then answered. "We know each other because of The Pageant."

Everyone got very confused especially Peridot, but Steven gasped in wonder, "You would have pageants?! That sounds beautiful."

"Trust me, it sounds a lot better than it actually is…" Tanzanite went on to reveal, "It's only for the Diamonds; other gems are forbidden from even knowing about it. Every once in a while, the Diamonds would gather all of us together on a neutral ground planet and put us in a huge, three-stage competition. Do well or win, and earn glory and favor for your Diamond." Tanzanite spit that last statement out with a fair amount of bitterness.

Peridot, still at a loss about all of this, tried to choose next words carefully, "It sounds like you all… it got a lot of consideration and effort from the Diamonds…"

"They didn't care about us. While a winner may have gotten some good favor, we never actually got anything for winning. They didn't coach us, encourage us, or even really talk to us at all. They spent most of their time talking and bragging to each other. It was only for their benefit…" Tanzanite took herself out of her own ire and noticed how uncomfortable the others were getting, and so offered. "In some ways, though, it was a good thing we weren't the main focus; it allowed us to get close to each other. And still, even though some of us were more gung-ho about the Diamonds, it was always great to hang out with our 'sisters' for 30, 35 cycles."

Peridot explained, "In Earth time, 30 to 35 cycles is about one year."

Connie exclaimed, "They had you competing with each other for an entire year?! Wow… What were the three stages?"

Tanzanite relayed, indicating the numbers with her fingers, "Stage 1: War Games. We competed in head-to-head strategy games, combat scenarios, campaign drills, and things like that. Stage two: Beauty Contest…"

Peridot, Lapis, and Amethyst's eyes shot open at that, while Connie actually wrinkled her nose, "Are you serious? They really had you… I don't know, parading around?"

"To be honest, the whole thing was them parading us around. Still, that stage was the most dreaded one. I always did very well because I'm comfortable with my looks and my physical form, but a lot of us struggled with it. We're never really taught we can be beautiful like most other gems, even though we are. On top of that, there's a fine line between appreciating our physical beauty and poking and prodding us like we're about to be devoured; as you can probably guess, the Diamonds, in hindsight, weren't really concerned much about crossing that line. The good thing is we really bonded over that ordeal; supporting each other is the only way some of us could get through it. I mean, Citrine and Tiger's Eye… Gorgeous gems, but they would almost burst themselves, they got so nervous."

Connie offered, "Well, it's good you had each other."

Tanzanite explained further, "It really was while it lasted… Sadly, any connection was quickly tested, put to the side, or thrown out the airlock, because… Stage 3 was the fighting tournament: one-on-one, all tactics permitted, the one to burst the other is the winner. That one could and often did get ugly fast; we're quartzes, so we get carried away when it comes to combat. Add in fighting directly for your Diamond. Then, it's already hard to break us already… You can imagine how horrible it could get."

Lapis shuddered at the thought, Amethyst nodded in knowing agreement, and Peridot added, "I can extrapolate, yes."

"Anyway… I never came close to winning the whole thing. The best I ever did was 4th." A small smile grew on Tanzanite's face, "It was the same year Azurite and I got together. It was a great year."

Steven happily asked, "Ooh, so your love made you stronger, helped you do things you never thought you could?!"

"Yes and no. That's true for the vast majority of my life, but it actually had the opposite effect on my Pageant performance. Suddenly, fighting tooth-and-nail with my sisters for little to no benefit slid down my list of priorities…" Tanzanite turned wistful as she started to reminisce, "I had my crew. I had my ship, and I had my love. I was at peace. I was…" Her thoughts inevitably turned to despair again, and Peridot stifled any more questions in her throat.

The red quartz pulled herself put into the present, wiping her eyes, "Uh, this tent's done."

-XX-

Steven and Connie eagerly taught Tanzanite the techniques for camping on Earth: gathering firewood, reading a compass, foraging, and the like. All the while, Steven provided ample enthusiasm, and Connie gave clinical explanations. Peridot meanwhile observed Tanzanite, looking as if she had questions she couldn't ask. Tanzanite consistently looked back at her, hoping to welcome her questions without words, but Peridot only looked away. Pearl and Garnet arrived near sunset when Steven declared it time for the campfire. They got a fire going in front of the tents, and the two young teens began demonstrating campfire activities.

First up was making s'mores. Tanzanite watched and listened, then spent a while observing the squishy white cylinder and two brown squares, one soft and melty and the other stiff and brittle, given to her, lightly squeezing the 'marshmallow' and turning the 'chocolate' and 'graham cracker' around in her hands. She deciphered it was food, but every species she'd known to that eat needed to eat did so for sustenance; this food seemed to be for fun. Peridot endeavored to mathematically decipher the perfect ration of marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker. Pearl of course abstained but diligently collected the trash, and Amethyst nonchalantly ate the trash while Pearl wasn't looking. Garnet, of course, simply listened to Steven and Connie explain everything.

Then came the scary stories. Connie asked Tanzanite first, as an invitation and to show they wanted to include her. Immediately, Tanzanite thought of a few horrifying encounters and memories, but the intent was presumably catharsis and not actual mental and emotional disturbance. She declined with a polite smile. Peridot then exuberantly started telling a story, relaying a mission log she read back in her Homeworld time. Her jargon and speed however dulled the emotional effect … until weird noises started sparingly sound around them. Peridot continued to end, the now-rather eerie sounds get closer and more frequent, but her story came to a seeming anticlimax as she explained that the log cuts out and no one knows what happened in the end… A creature with an unsettling shape leapt into the area and let out an ugly scream, causing even Garnet and Tanzanite to jump up startled. A maniac laugh followed as Amethyst morphed back into her shape, and Peridot bounced up and down, incredulous that it worked and excited her and Amethyst pulled it off.

Lapis had a story next, but it became apparent she didn't share Tanzanite's discretion toward the morbid. The blue gem told a truly bone-chilling and at times stomach-churning tale, apparently it was a story of her own making and about something that terrified her. It definitely wasn't helped by Lapis puppeteering out the story with water, which got very harrowing when the story talked of … 'dripping' or 'pouring'. That's also when everyone found out that Lapis can change the color of her water if she wanted… With Connie and Steven still wide-eyed and pale from the story, Garnet immediately declared story time over and hurriedly ushered in the next activity.

Everyone was in need of relief and recovery, so Steven rightly suggested it was the perfect time for music. Steven pulled out his ukulele, Connie had brought along her violin, and they both started playing in perfect harmony. Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet started singing along, and then after a moment to retrieve their instruments, Peridot and Lapis even join in somewhat with triangle and tambourine… The togetherness, comfort, and, yes, family love of it all gave Tanzanite an ache of remembrance and longing that started in her chest and radiated out through her body. Still, it actually gave her a pleasant warmth, to know and feel it in this distant place too. Then, she got an idea, partly to add to the feeling and partly to experience it again for herself…

"Sorry to interrupt, but … do you mind if I join in?"

The gems were a little puzzled even Steven smiled big, saying, "Not at all!"

"Go for it!" Connie added.

With that, Tanzanite stretched her fingers, gave a flourish with her hands, and summoned her guitar in a flutter of white sparkles. Steven and Connie gasped in awe. Pearl and Garnet both smiled at how easily the red quartz already seemed to fit in with them. Amethyst even smirked because at least the guitar looked cool. Peridot meanwhile was thunderstruck again and almost fell out of her seat. Tanzanite then started playing along with everyone, showing she'd already gotten the melody of the song mostly memorized…

The words burst out of Tanzanite, "Okay, that's just… How is it remotely possible that you have an instrument and can play music?!"

Tanzanite continued to play as she revealed, "Well, one day on one of the colonies, I saw some gems playing music; when I asked, they said they were recording music for White Diamond. I figured if White Diamond likes music, I should probably learn to play some. So, I found an instrument that I liked and that fit me best, and started teaching myself to play, mostly by listening to songs and figuring out how to play the melodies."

Steven added, "Yeah, and Dad's even helping her now."

That caused Pearl to chime in, "You're taking lessons from Greg?"

"Yeah, he's helping me clean up my skills, like teaching me actual chords and showing me techniques that make learning music way easier. I've even learned a few Earth songs already… I've always believed that the more things you can do, the more valuable and helpful you can be. If there's something you can do, you should explore it, either to make yourself better in some way or for benefit of someone else."

Peridot couldn't hold it in any longer. "My stars, how did you ever manage to last this long? I'm genuinely curious. There should be no way." Tanzanite looked up at her, playing slower as she listened. "Homeworld customs and procedures are drilled into us while we incubate and rigidly enforced from the day we emerge. But you're so autonomous—"

"We'd never been to Homeworld," Tanzanite stopped playing and interrupted her, "My crew and me… We're colonial; we woke up and immediately got put on Sentinel duty. The first time we went to Homeworld was the last time … the last day of our lives."

"Wow, no wonder they didn't hesitate to deal with you." Peridot cringed even as she was still saying the sentence, and everyone's eyes merely confirmed what she knew. Peridot added with her very next breath, "No, wait. That's not how I meant it; it was terrible too. I mean, to me or someone like me who had to memorize every rule, it's obvious what Homeworld's response would be, but it was still awful. None of you deserved it."

Tanzanite glared at Peridot as a tense silence fell over the whole group. After a moment, the red quartz looked away and started playing again, "Steven? Everyone? There's an Earth song I just learned, and it's been a while since I sang for anyone. Do you mind if I play it for you?"

Steven answered, "Oh, sure, go ahead."

Seemingly trying to move on, Tanzanite prefaced, "Okay. I changed some of the words, and again it's been a while, so please bear with me."

Tanzanite flexed her fingers, morphed her guitar into acoustic shape, and began to play. The tune had a distinct western twang but was low and delicate. The soft warbling reverb on the end of its notes gave it drifting and almost haunted feel. However, something was growing inside of the red quartz, an aching discomfort, words she wanted to say continued to rise into her mind. Tanzanite kept shoving her ire down, but it was proving fruitless. She took a deep breath to keep from exploding, but stopping her song with a short riff, she had to speak.

Tanzanite looked at Peridot once again, "You're right, it was awful, but it was more than that. I knew what my role was; we all did. We did everything we asked to and way more, for ourselves and our fellow gems, all in her name … and it didn't matter a single bit. Every victory, every sacrifice, every offering, all of it for nothing. She literally destroyed us because we did our jobs too well. Not only did she not care at all, but us going above and beyond for her honor … was crime punishable by death. Just like that, my life, our lives, it was just dust. Do you even get that?"

"Well … yes, that's … kinda why I'm here." Peridot repeated herself as she made the realization. "I mean, not exactly, but that actually is part of why I'm here."

Tanzanite recoiled slightly at that response, and realized after a moment that she stood corrected. That took the wind out her sails a bit and curbed her anger. Unexpectedly, it also centered her thoughts to help her find what she actually wanted to say.

"Right…" Tanzanite began again. "You know what, you're right and I apologize. I'll reframe that… Think about everything you have here: freedom of expression, equal standing in your group, your own personal space and belongings, a clan of support of affection, a family even. Did you have anything like this on Homeworld?"

"No… not even close."

Tanzanite nodded, continuing, "I did, and she just ripped it apart. The gem I was made for, who I gave and did everything I could for… I had to watch her and Homeworld just destroy everything I lived for…" She felt herself welling up but quickly shook her head and lightly smacked her cheeks to physically sent the wave away and compose herself, "Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just bringing everybody down."

Steven, ever empathetic, reassured her, "No, no, it's okay. We understand."

"You're sweet, but no, it's not okay. You and Connie set up this nice evening, it's supposed to be happy and fun, and I'm just ruining it." Tanzanite flexed her fingers again and cleared her throat, "Let me try to bring this back."

Tanzanite morphed her guitar into flamenco shape and began strumming a quick and nimble melody. The gems recognized the tune as a victory celebration song, but everyone was very uncomfortable and little sadder. Peridot felt the shift in everyone's mood; she had to help try to salvage everything … by doing something she was still anxious about doing: she began singing the words to the song! Garnet joined in and then Pearl sang too. Everyone soon relaxed, not as happy as before but much more at else.

An hour and half later, Steven and Connie started to doze and declared it was time to sleep, not in time for Amethyst who was already snoring. Pearl began cleaning up. Lapis 'helped' with the fire, actually putting it out with no effort. Garnet scooped up Amethyst under her arm, and put her in Steven and Connie's tent to sleep between them. Garnet and Pearl eventually retired to the biggest tent. Tanzanite looked at the remaining tent, made up just for her, but simply stood off to the side. Peridot spotted her and really wanted their interaction to end on a better note yet was still without the faintest idea what to do or say. All her deductions lead to one last option … the truth.

"Excuse me … Tanzanite?" Peridot approached, and the red quartz slowly turned to her with an unassuming look, "Listen, I'm sorry about earlier. The truth is don't have a clue how to approach this or you. I know I should help and I want to, but I am at a complete loss on how to respond to you ordeal. So the best I can do … is offer distractions. If you need something to take your mind off everything, I can help with that. I have a couple of projects I could really use help with from someone as strong as you. If you wish to discuss anything else or if you want to know anything about Earth, I can lend an ear or be a guide respectively."

Tanzanite snickered with relief, and responded with slight delight, "Thank you, Peridot. And thank _you_ for being autonomous too…"

Tanzanite smiled and gave the smaller gem a gentle shove of affection. With that, Peridot headed back for the barn … and let out a big sigh of relief on the way.

 _ **-Lapis-**_

After the eventful night, Tanzanite wasn't really inclined to sleep; she instead need a spot to think. Eventually, she found her way onto the roof of the barn, and reclined on the roof's gentle slope, gazing up at the stars above… Lapis, settled into her truck bed perch, heard some commotion above her and flew up to investigate, only to find Tanzanite resting there. Lapis couldn't help but notice from the quartz's extended posture, her strong arms and legs, her defined musculature yet still soft curvature. Where did that come from? Lapis stopped herself from looking too hard and wondered where that focus came from. Tanzanite suddenly felt a presence near her, looked all around, and immediately sat up when she saw Lapis standing there.

"I'm sorry," Tanzanite said, "This isn't your spot, is it?"

Lapis reassured her, feigning irritation, "Well, given the circumstances, I can make an exception this time."

Tanzanite nodded in thanks and laid back, her hands placed back behind her head. Lapis stepped around the red quartz and laid down as well, her hands folded over her waist… Lapis glanced over at Tanzanite, several urges and reservations twisting back and forth inside of her. She steeled herself for what she was about to do, what she told herself she would do given the chance. Still, she wasn't going to rush right in; there were other, easier things to address first…

"Tanzanite? What you said earlier, about me being a special gem… What did you mean? Can you explain that?"

Tanzanite glanced at Lapis bemused for a moment, but relayed nonetheless, "You and Azurite are the same class of gem; your water control confirms that. You're both incredibly rare, uncannily powerful blue gems, blue being the most frequent type; Sapphires and their future vision are also included in your class. Usually, you're in direct concert with a Diamond, but if not, you're paired with the highest-ranking Quartz available as a right-hand… They don't tell you this, but fusions with gems of your type especially with a quartz are hauntingly strong. In fact, for your power, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a Quartz out there somewhere that's supposed to be yours."

Ah, so that was the cause of Lapis' sudden fascination. She however brought herself back to the present and relayed bluntly, "They didn't know I had any power and neither did I. They said I was worthless, a waste. When I got cracked, they just set me in a mirror and left me."

"Oh … I see." Tanzanite naturally empathized with Lapis' account, "Shortsightedness _is_ a rampant problem on Homeworld, along with callousness and flippant disregard. I'm sorry."

"It did allow me to meet Steven, so it wasn't all bad in the end."

"He is lovely, isn't he? He definitely gets some of it from his father, which makes me wonder what Rose Quartz was like. But yes, Steven is a special kid."

"Yes. Actually, he's…" Lapis paused to line up her words and feelings and ready herself for what she was about to say. "Other than that explanation, he's the main reason I want to talk to you." Tanzanite looked over interestedly, "He means a lot to me. And along with everything else, I really admire him; he can always believe in the good in other and see how good things could be. He does it so easily, and he's almost always right. With me, with Peridot, and now, so far, with you… I wish I could be more like him when it comes to everyone else, even if it's just a little bit, even though it doesn't come naturally … even with my own problems. So, I figured, if I wanted it to happen … I needed to make an effort when I got the chance."

"And you want to start with me…"

"With you, I think I can. After watching and listening to you … I really think I know how you feel."

"Then… I am really truly sorry."

"Why are _you_ sorry?"

"Because the way I feel…" Tanzanite said somberly, "I wouldn't wish this on anyone."

Lapis turned just as somber, "Yeah, I've definitely been there. Like what you said to Peridot… Having everything you cared about ripped away from you."

"That crushing feeling at having something, loving it, then losing it."

"Thinking about anywhere else then getting sad because you already know what's there and you hate it."

"Craving what and who you loved, only to remember they're gone and you'll never be with them again."

"Having to start over but not knowing if you can … and deep down, part of you doesn't even want to, just wants to lay down and not get up… Yeah, I know all about that."

"There's something else… I saw that second attack. It was a split second but I saw it. I … could've done something. I was their leader. I promised I would fight for them and protect them. I should've…" Tanzanite's voice began to shake, unable to hold her tears anymore. "Even if it would've only delayed it, even if it just got me shattered too, I should've done it. It should've been all of us or none of us; that's what I believe and fought for… But now I'm here. I... I shouldn't be alive." Tanzanite just managed to cover her face before she began to weep.

Lapis laid a comforting hand on the red quartz's quaking shoulder, saying, "Hey, don't think like that. You know they wouldn't want that."

"No, they would _want_ to be here…" Tanzanite calmed slightly and said with her still-wracked voice, only uncovering her mouth. "That was harsh; I'm sorry."

Lapis reassuringly replied, "Don't be. Don't apologize for how you feel; don't apologize for being hurt."

Soon, Tanzanite's tears tapered off, and she wiped her face with a sniff and a groan of fatigue. "Before I came up here, Peridot offered to help me to take my mind off things, and I'm actually thankful for that; I'll definitely take her on it. Everything I'm wanting or everything I can think of, it's something I did with them. Now, that they're gone…" She couldn't help also sounding lost now, "I don't know what to do."

"Well, Peridot _does_ specialize in finding things to do … and explain … and mess around with."

"Well, she is an Intel gem," Tanzanite chuckled, She turned to Lapis with a small smile, "Know who I'm also thankful for? You. You said it doesn't come naturally to you, but you helped this Quartz heal a little. Thank you, Lapis Lazuli."

Lapis blushed with a smirk, replying, "Well, uh, don't give me too much credit; I'm just saying things I wished someone had said to me. What I mean is … you're welcome, anytime."

She looked so lovely, like she always did. There would be more exciting and more passionate times, but times like this were warm, comforting, peaceful bliss. Tanzanite stared at her: the serenity in her eyes, her clean fragrant floral aroma, her comfortable smile, her flowery curls lightly bouncing in the gentle breeze… Tanzanite felt a gentle smile growing on her face as she gazed at the gem she loved. Azurite lazily looked over her…

"Uh… are you okay?" Lapis asked, rather confused by Tanzanite's expression.

Lapis' voice brought Tanzanite back. What in the stars was that?! At first, she thought it was just reverie … but it couldn't have been; it was too real. Tanzanite could see, smell, and feel Azurite next to her, and it felt like it always had. Azurite was there, but no, it was Lapis. The switch was instant, without even a blink of an eye. Tanzanite was definitely bewildered and a little disturbed by the trick her mind just played…

"Hey, are you alright?" Lapis repeated as the Tanzanite's face turned pink and a shocked expression grew there as well, "Were you checking me out? Did you see a ghost, whatever that is?"

"What? Oh, no…" Tanzanite shook her head while clenching and rubbing her eyes, trying not panic as she replied, "Sorry, I was just … thinking about something."

Tanzanite looked away, trying to recover. Fortunately, it wasn't long before something else presented itself to change the subject. After a moment, large streaks of fiery light flew across the sky…!

"Wow, a meteor shower?" Lapis mused.

Tanzanite sat up and analyzed, as she noticed something was off, "No… It's too slow and… the angles are all wrong. Those look like they're falling to this planet…"

Tanzanite watches as the fireballs slowly disappeared on the horizon.

 _ **-Offering-**_

Late in the morning the next day, Greg had already come by and taken Steven and Connie to get Connie home. All the camping gear had been packed by Pearl, even though Steven insisted they leave it until he got back so he could help. Amethyst, Pearl, Garnet departed when the fusion sensed something that troubled her so much that they left immediately. Tanzanite disappeared before everyone else, shortly before sunrise. Peridot started to move around, thinking of what she would do with her day. Lapis watched from her truck bed, in case she was asked to help with whatever it was. Just then, they had a surprising return: Tanzanite was coming up the hill with a polished metal machine strapped to her back. Naturally, Peridot and Lapis were very taken aback by this.

"I come bearing gifts." Tanzanite announced as Lapis flew down next to Peridot, "Mind if I come inside?"

"Uh, why?" Peridot inquired as she and Lapis led the red quartz into the barn, "You don't have to give us compensation."

Tanzanite unstrapped the machine and gently lowered it to the floor then explained, "I already did something for the other gems. It's only right to do the same for you both." Tanzanite tapped on the machine. "This, Peridot, is for you."

The intelligence gem began looking over the machine, asking, "Intriguing. What is it?"

"It's a Regen machine, a compact and supercharged version of a rehabilitation chamber." Peridot's eyes got wide as Tanzanite explained further, "It still doesn't heal cracks but it's more portable and heals in half the time. It's one of Sphene's inventions."

Peridot's eyes filled with stars, "Wow. And you just giving this to me?"

"And this is just part of it. The real big thing is this." Tanzanite pulled out a folder from inside her coat and handed it to her. Peridot flipped through to see it was a packet of sketches, research notes, and schematics. Tanzanite continued, "It was one of her ongoing projects. She was working on a more accessible/more long-range addition. She was even talking about make it capable of hooking up to warp pads. At the very least, she wanted to make it so that you can use it without retreating to your gem."

"This is … exceptional." Peridot however looked warily at Tanzanite, "This obviously meant a lot to your Sphene, so I have to ask again… Are you sure you want to give this to me?"

Hurting but assured, Tanzanite said in sincerity, "Sphene, she … loved showing off the things she made and … she always wanted one of her inventions to be good enough for others to use. 'Something good enough to be a gift' she used to say. She never got to finish this one, so hopefully it'll inspire you to make it better or make something else all your own. She'd probably be thrilled even if it became one of your sculptures."

"Well, it's too useful for that, but… Thank you." Peridot said with a smile.

Tanzanite smiled back, saying, "No need for that, this is me thanking you…" Peridot turned to the machine while Tanzanite turned to Lapis, "I have something for you too, Lapis. I'm not sure how much his will mean to you, but I hope you'll like it."

Tanzanite pulled out a small hollow prism and gave it to Lapis, who looked it over in her hands…

"It's … pretty." Lapis finally said, confused, "Does it do anything?"

Tanzanite nodded in confirmation and explained, "There is a long complicated name for it, but we call it a Master Key. Basically, it can break you out of any kind of static confinement. Just put it inside your gem, and it keeps you from being forced or trapped inside, particularly in structures or settings. So, if you get trapped, this will force you right out of it, whether it's a piece of clothing or a wall or, say … a mirror. And it works even if you're cracked."

Lapis' eyes lit up a little. "Really? Are you serious?"

Tanzanite reached back and pulled one out of her gem. "Never leave your ship without it…" Tanzanite put it back into her gem with a wistful smile before saying, "I had a spare one just for Azurite, so … it's just your size. I hope it's okay."

Lapis immediately put it into her gem. "It's great. Thank you."

"Really, you shouldn't be thanking me. Peridot, can you come here for a sec?" Peridot pried herself away from the machine while Tanzanite kneeled in front of them to get closer to eye level. She again turned serious and heartfelt, "Words can't express how completely and incredibly thankful and appreciative I am for you helping me, especially when neither of you was comfortable with it. Thank you with my whole heart."

Before Lapis and Peridot realized what was coming, Tanzanite surprisingly wrapped her arms around them, with surprising pleasant gentleness and unsurprising warmth and softness. Neither was uncomfortable with physical contact; they couldn't be friends with Steven Universe otherwise. Still, they were taken aback by the affection from this quartz, but nevertheless were touched by her appreciation. Somehow, they managed to help her, thank goodness. Tanzanite released them to see both gems blushing…

"Too much? That was probably too much."

While Lapis waved it off, Peridot said, "Oh, we understood your intentions, so no harm done."

"Great," Tanzanite said with a smile, "Well, I've gotta get going… I'll see you both around."

The red quartz gave them a small wave as she stood, and left. As Tanzanite disappeared down the hill, Peridot let out a skittering cackle.

Peridot commented to herself, satisfied "Unconventional but another undoubted success…"

Lapis gave her a playful shove and flew back into her perch.

End Chapter

 _ **A/N:**_ **Well, there you have it. This is much longer than I was expecting, and because of that, I'm very thankful to you for making it through this. Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed it. There are a lot of ideas here, and this might push me into AU when the show comes back. I did have a lot of fun writing this chapter though, so much so I'm thinking of turning The Pageant into a separate fic. Nevertheless, thank you again for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you come back for more. Please leave some feedback if you like. And, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.**


	5. Amethyst

_Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe or any of its characters, plot, or properties. Rebecca Sugar is welcome to use my characters if she so feels._

 _ **A/N:**_ **Hello, fellow writers and readers! One quick note for future reference: Helzberg is a jewelry store, particularly for diamond jewelry. Please keep that in mind. Other than that, it's been entirely too long, so let's get right to it. And here … we … go:**

Steven Universe: Crystallize Red

Amethyst

" _Pushing forward through the night/ Aching chest and blurry sight/ It's so far, so far away/ It's so far, so far away._ "

Sitting in a chair in front of Greg's car wash, Tanzanite played her guitar with it morphed into acoustic shape. On this occasion, she was performing the Jose Gonzalez song, playing the delicate, drifting, and almost haunted melody, the words flowing easily as she sang. The song's appropriateness to herself, of course, resonated painfully every time she sang it, and this time was no different.

" _Cold wind blows into the skin/ can't believe the state you're in/ It's so far, so far away/ it's so far, so far away/ Who are you tryin' to impress/ suddenly created a mess…"_

Tanzanite played the song to its conclusion, and the small group of humans gathered around paused from pointing their communication devices at her to clap in appreciation. Apparently, their devices also came with video recording.

"That was great." This one was a 'male' that fit the description of someone Steven referred to as Sour Cream, which she swore was some kind of food compliment, "I loved the way you sing, like you really felt the words, like you really lived them, you know."

" _I wish I didn't._ " Tanzanite thought to herself. She nevertheless put on a smile and replied, "Thank you so much. It's one of my best songs, so I'm glad you like it."

Another one asked, "Do you take or Square?"

That was the question she had to keep answering, almost every time someone stopped. The red quartz directed them to the station of electronics to her side, again grateful to Steven and Connie for suggesting and setting it up. The humans' com devices also apparently managed and distributed currency. After a while, it was no wonder why the humans seemed so attached to them; whether it was a good thing or not was still undetermined.

Still, the people were rather pleasant. Most humans at least gave her a bit of attention, and those that approached were generous and liberal with praise. This small group was much of the same except a few exceptions: one of the males seemed very focused on her, and in fact, was the reason this group stopped to listen to Tanzanite in the first place. He wore a near-constant smile during the song, and clapped the most enthusiastically when she finished. Tanzanite couldn't help but grow a small smile when she realized it was probably attraction, a little crush, which got more evidence when his face lit up upon seeing her smile. It was flattering, but Tanzanite was not interested. She was however much more intrigued by the short-haired female next to him, who was having the exact same reaction as him. The red quartz gave her a definite smile, and not only did she change color but she also broke into giggles.

Getting back on track, Tanzanite relayed, "By the way, I'm having a live showcase right here in a couple of weeks, and for a small fee, you can make a request for ANY song and I will play it live. Also, if this inspired you, the man who taught me everything guitar and the reason I'm having this showcase…" Tanzanite paused momentarily to play a very fast riff for emphasis, "And the owner of this car wash, Mr. Greg Universe, is taking students."

Finally, the group took their leave, the enamored boy and girl lagging behind as Tanzanite went back to playing. Making that pitch to whoever stopped to listen made her realize how very grateful she was to Greg for tutoring her and giving her songs to play. In short, Tanzanite loved Earth music and its incredible diversity and evocativeness. At first, she learned methodical and somber acoustic pieces, then the fast and peppery songs of flamenco, but eventually found a favorite style in the intricate and furiously-paced electrical pieces. In particular, she loved the work of M Shadows, Mick Gordon, Black Veil Brides, Daisuke Ishiwatari, and her absolute favorite, Marissa Paternoster and the Screaming Females.

Tanzanite really wanted to repay Greg somehow. Then, she found out that people would pay money to hear music and did enjoy listening to people play popular songs or 'covers', as they called them. Thus, she got a list of her best songs and, with the showcase being the culmination, began playing in front of the car wash with the additional hope that people will pay Greg to teach that. At the very least, she was getting attention because it was hard to ignore a 7 and ½ foot tall 'woman' with scarlet red skin, white hair, and a black coat playing electric guitar.

Tanzanite was looking down when she felt a gem approaching, and looked up to see Amethyst coming right for her. The purple quartz honestly looked annoyed, her hair billowing behind her like a storm cloud…

"Hey, Amethyst. What's going on?" Tanzanite said cordially.

Amethyst folded her arms in irritation as she came to a stop, saying, "Garnet sent me to get you, said it was important and I needed to walk back to the temple."

Tanzanite dissipated her guitar as she got up, replying, "Okay. Just give me a moment to pack up, and I will be right there."

Amethyst responded with a grunt and a shrug, and Tanzanite began putting things away… A tense silence hovered between them as they walked back toward the temple, and Tanzanite had noticed Amethyst's standoffish mood around her and even had an idea as to why. The red quartz really didn't like having a potential powder keg in this place she'd be staying. In any case, they were both quartzes; being direct was a shared language for them.

"So, Amethyst… Steven tells me you're quite the wildfire; I mean, some of the stories he's told me about you are amazing…" Amethyst simply reacted with another grunt and shrug. Tanzanite pressed on, "But, every time I've seen you, you've been really low-key. Is … everything okay? I mean, are you feeling alright?"

"Pssh, why? You don't care."

"I would like to care, if that's okay."

Amethyst let out a groaning sigh. "Look, just because everyone else is okay with you being here doesn't mean I have to be."

"I guess that's fair; I just hope I didn't do anything bad. I didn't … piss you off, did I? Or do something bad and didn't realize?"

"No… Well, not yet. The last couple visits we got all ended badly, so I'm watching you."

Tanzanite tried to reassure her fellow quartz, "Well, I want you to relax. I promise, my intentions are only honorable, or at least, harmless."

"They better be." Amethyst suddenly came to abrupt stop and whipped around to face her, "Because if you're lying or even think about hurting anyone … you'll have to answer to me, and I will make you pay."

A sharp twinge of fight instinct shot throughout Tanzanite, but she tamped it down as she understood Amethyst's reaction. Tanzanite held up her hands and again tried to reassure Amethyst, "Okay, quartz, you're crystal clear; I'll behave."

Amethyst pointed emphatically, her attitude not lifting, "I'm serious; I'll kick your butt. I don't care if you're an ultimate quartz or a captain or whatever."

"Oh… okay, I see." Tanzanite thought; that latter statement gave her a calming bit of realization. The red quartz again tried to reassure her fellow quartz with the added understanding, "Okay, big sister, just calm down; you're getting all worked up for nothing. I'm not going to try anything, and I _definitely_ don't want to tangle with you."

"Oh, so you're making fun of me now?!" Amethyst reacting, her hands on her hips.

"Absolutely not. You actually have a couple legit advantages over me."

"Really? No way…" A silence again grew between them as they started walking again, an idea swirling in Amethyst's mind. Her voice noticeably softened as she couldn't help but inquire, "Okay, like what?"

Usually, Tanzanite hated giving away her weaknesses and even now all her natural instincts pulled against it. However, she knew it would put Amethyst at ease… Tanzanite continued, "Okay, there are things that just about every gem can do, things you're very good at, that I can't do. For one… I can't shapeshift."

Amethyst audibly gasped. "What?! No! You can't shapeshift at all?"

"Basically. I mean, I can charge my hair somewhat, I can change my clothes, I can do some little things to my hands, teeth, and feet, but other than that … I am incapable. I _am_ this size, I _am_ this shape, and I _am_ this color. What you see is pretty much what you get."

"Wow, that's crazy. How do you deal?"

"Well, the one thing I am good at shapeshifting is my weapon."

Tanzanite demonstrated by materializing a hatchet in one hand, the sleeve on that arm disappearing, and then materialized another one in her other hand, the opposite sleeve disappearing as well. She then morphed them together to form a two-handed labrys axe. Point proven, she dematerialized the axe, and both her sleeves reappeared. Amethyst however noticed something about the whole process, something she had to ask about when she realized.

"Wait a sec. So, does that mean … that coat is your weapon?!"

Tanzanite lightly flared her collar with a smile and confirmed, "Yep, never go into a new place without my armor on."

Amethyst commented with a chuckle, "Cool…"

"I know. Anyway, another disadvantage I have, and this one is pretty embarrassing to say…" The words caught in Tanzanite's throat; this drawback actually hurt to admit out loud. "I can't spin dash." Amethyst's eyes grew wide, and she tried to respond but no words would come. Tanzanite continued, if only to break the silence, "Yes, I know. Every other quartz can do it, but I am unable. Now, I'm a lot more agile and nimble than your average quartz, but with no spin… I can't close distance or chase as well as others. I have to make you come to me."

Amethyst relaxed, putting her hands behind her head, and mused, "Geez, and here I thought you were all perfect."

"Never said I was. No gem is…" Tanzanite cracked a small smile, saying, "But, I'm glad you had a good opinion of me, even if you didn't like me."

"Pfft, nah, you were right; I was getting in my own head about you… It's a thing with me. I'm working on it, but it just … comes back sometimes."

"It's still good you're working on it, though; most gems never even realize they have a problem. So, good on you, big sister."

Amethyst chuckled again, this one ending in a brief snort. "You know, that joke's gonna get pretty old soon."

"You were awake during the Rebellion here, weren't you?"

"I think so. I mean, I wasn't in it, but it was apparently still going on when I finally popped out."

"Well, there you go. I did the math, and in Earth time, I'm 5,681 years old. I completely missed it, barely but still. So, you're literally my big sister."

Amethyst let out a long, robust laugh, and said, even as she was still catching her breath, "Oh, man, I can't even deal with that yet. Let's just work on being sisters first…" Tanzanite simply nodded and turned back to their path. After a moment, Amethyst realized she still had things to say. "Hey, Tanzanite... I really should've said this earlier: I'm sorry about your family … but I hope like it here with us. Oh, and thanks; I'm really glad we worked this out."

"Thank you … and I do like it here with you all. Thanks for having me. So… sisters?"

"You betcha!" Amethyst cheerfully concurred.

To symbolically seal the agreement, Amethyst spit into her hand and offered a shake. Tanzanite managed to suppress a shudder, but was nonetheless confused by the gesture.

As politely as she could, Tanzanite declined, "Uh, I only swap spit with my lips, and we ain't that close yet."

"Ha, okay, okay. Have it your way, Red."

'Red'… Tanzanite smiled hearing that.

-XX-

Amethyst and Tanzanite warped to the desert to meet up with Garnet and Pearl, but when they got to their destination, the light faded to reveal an eerie sight. Humongous beveled trenches had been dug into the sand. They went around and around in loose overlapping paths, going and coming from all directions with seemingly no purpose or aim. The two quartzes hurried over to Garnet and Pearl but had to be careful not to fall into one of them.

Tanzanite exclaimed, incredulous, "What in Helzberg happened here?!"

"Tanzanite!" Pearl reacted, quickly and indignant, "Your language!"

"Wha- …" Tanzanite looked around more thoroughly and saw Steven poking his head up out of a nearby crevasse. "Oh. Oh! Uh, right, okay… Steven, I apologize for using that language; that was rude and crass of me.

Unfazed, Steven simply said, "Apology accepted."

"Thank you. Now, don't repeat what I said."

"Okay, I won't."

"I'm serious, Steven. Repeat what I just asked you to do."

Steven was getting a little more confused. "Do not repeat what you said when you first got here."

"Yes, and I mean it. If Pearl comes to me and tells me you said it…"

"I promise." Steven said, frazzled and reassuring, "I promise I won't use that word, even though I'm pretty sure that's a store. I won't use that word."

"Good. Thank you."

Tanzanite then smiled and affectionately ruffled his hair, trying to make up for unsettling him. Amethyst gave Tanzanite a nudge…

"Don't get worked up about it. I've done that a few times…" Amethyst then dropped her voice into a sneaky whisper, "Plus, we can totally cut loose when it's just us." Tanzanite flashed a quick smirk of agreement.

"Now, to the problem at hand…" Tanzanite walked over to Pearl and Garnet. "Any idea what kind of crisis this is?"

Pearl responded, "Right now, no and that's what's disconcerting. This is definitely something large, but there's no clue as to what. A vehicle of any kind wouldn't leave such chaotic tracks. There's no sign of Gem activity…"

Garnet added, "The only thing we can somewhat guess is whatever made this is the same thing that fell to Earth a few days ago."

Tanzanite concurred, "I'm glad I'm not the only one that noticed that entry."

Garnet continued, asking, "Actually, Tanzanite, I was hoping you might have some insight on this… Can you give us your analysis?"

Tanzanite looked at the calamitous sand pattern, folding her arms over chest as she thought, recalling her experiences, past reports, and speculation she received…

Tanzanite relayed, "First off, all of this isn't one thing; it was made by multiple things. All this roaming and swirling around suggests they were searching for something like … trying to find a signal or a common line of logic. Now, this part is speculative, so don't take this as gospel but … one of the things Homeworld was reportedly working on was remote mechanisms…

As I understood it, the basic idea was to build machines with advanced enough tech that you could send it to a planet in pieces, it would reassemble itself, and it would start working on its own… You can see the reasoning: they would be used for discretion or cost saving; you could have a whole operation up and running without spending the time to set it up or needing a whole gem crew to maintain and attend to it … in theory at least. Last reports said they weren't anywhere close to even prototyping stage. On the other hand, I'm not privy to weekly reports anymore, obviously."

Pearl went literally blue with shock. "So, we could possibly have a massive Homeworld machine roaming aimlessly on Earth?!"

Garnet pointed out, "And even worse … we have no way of tracking it or finding out where it is."

A very heavy silence followed until Amethyst called out, "Hey, Red! Betcha can't do this!"

The three gems looked over to see Amethyst spin-dashing and rolling up and down the sides of the trenched like a skating half-pipe, much to Steven's amusement.

"Show-off!" Tanzanite shouted back with a smile.

"Don't be jealous!" Amethyst unfurled in mid-air to shout back before quickly curling back up and spinning again.

Tanzanite playful retorted, "In your dreams, Purple!"

Garnet commented with a smirk, "I'm glad you two are finally getting along well."

Tanzanite knowingly asking without turning to her, "Are you asking or bragging?"

"You two wanted to connect; all you needed was a reason to talk."

Tanzanite pointed out with a chuckle, "You say that like I haven't used that trick before. I _am_ a captain too."

"I know." Garnet said, adjusting her shades, "I was counting on it."

"Hmm… Didn't expect you to trust me so soon. But thanks; it's good to be on everyone's good side now."

Amethyst came running up, speaking very excitedly, "Hey, Red, me and Steven just had a great idea. There's this big shindig happening, and we think you'll love it! And lucky us, it's going on tonight!"

"You and Steven endorse it? Well, how can I pass that up?! Oh, hold on…" Tanzanite looked to Garnet. "What do you think, boss? Think whatever this is can keep for a night?"

Garnet said with a shrug, "I don't see why not."

Pearl interjected with much concern, "Garnet, are you sure?"

"Don't worry; you and I will keep an eye on things…" Garnet turned to Amethyst. "Have a good time."

Tanzanite gave a nod as Amethyst hooted, "Alright! Quartz Party! Red, trust me… You're gonna love this."

-XXX-

At nightfall, Amethyst and Tanzanite were en route to their event; Steven was with Connie, so the two quartzes were on their own. They soon approached a warehouse that seemed in disrepair yet there were bright lights and noise of life coming from inside. Amethyst stopped short of entering and morphed into a larger, more muscular and top heavy shape, her 'Purple Puma' persona, though she kept her regular clothes on over her new form.

"You showing off again?" Tanzanite teased.

Her voice deeper and more gravelly, Amethyst explained, "I got a reputation here. But, just be you and you'll fit right in. Smiley's gonna love you."

"Not too much I hope."

They entered to find they were actually early as the crew was still setting things up, and Tanzanite quickly realized it was some kind of arena. In the center surrounded by chairs was a square platform with four posts on its corners and three ropes running along its perimeters at differing heights. A group of large males and females roughly the same shape and in the similar attire to Amethyst's current form were in and around this 'ring'. Just then, a bald man with a moustache and a big smile walked briskly up to them…

"Oh, Purple Puma!" Smiley exclaimed, relief obvious in his voice, "You must be sent from the Heavens above! I'm really in a bind, and I could use your help."

'Purple Puma' replied, "Run it by me, and I'll see what I can do."

Smiley explained, "I had a tag team cancel on me this morning; they're still stuck in Delmarva… I know you said you'd never wrestle again, but … is there any way I can convince you and Tiger Millionaire to step into the ring one … last … time? Please?"

"You know what, Smiley, just for you… Count me in. Now, Tiger Millionaire can't be here tonight … but luckily I have a great replacement." 'Purple Puma' tapped Tanzanite's shoulder in display. "Smiley, meet my sister."

"Your sis—ah, oh, oh…"

Smiley was completely struck dumb at the sight of Tanzanite, apparently not realizing she was a person. He probably thought at a glance that she was some kind of tall object or piece of equipment; Tanzanite had gotten that a few times from those weren't paying attention. Now, he couldn't look away, and it honestly felt good to see another being in awe of her. The red quartz wondered if this is what appealed to Amethyst. Tanzanite gave a confident smile and offered her hand to Smiley.

"Hello, Mr. Smiley." Tanzanite cordially said.

Returning the gesture, Smiley commented under his breath, "Mother of God…"

"You can call me Scarlet." Tanzanite quipped quickly.

Smiley was taken aback again, this time by the strength of her handshake. "Yep. You'll do nicely.

As Smiley took his leave, Amethyst nudged Tanzanite's hip with a chuckle. "Now, who's showing off?"

"It's what we do."

By this time, the men and women were in the ring doing drills of some kind: acrobatic front and side rolls, tumbling, vaulting over the ropes, running to the ropes and bouncing off them to run the other way… Tanzanite could see the gist of what they were doing, and, since Amethyst had already volunteered her for this, she figured she might as well join in and get acclimated. Every one of them stopped and stared as the red quartz stepped up on the side of the ring and casually vaulted over the top rope. Telling them she was the Purple Puma's sister did little to ease their bewilderment. They only became more shocked at her ease and fluidity in performing the drills. They probably didn't expect someone her size to be as agile and dexterous as she, and to be fair to them, most gems didn't expect it either.

Finally, several of the smaller ones started performing a drill where they stood backwards on the top rope at one of the corners, back-flipped off, twisted in mid-air, and landing on their feet facing forward; it seemed simple enough. So, as she'd seen, Tanzanite climbed up to the top, performed the aerial move, and landed on her feet. The others, however, reacted much more dramatically than she anticipated: there were hoots, yells, shrieks, screams, and general sounds of disbelief and exultation along with a lot of excited running around and exclamations of what Tanzanite deduced to be human expletives. When they started crowding around her, Smiley quickly stepped in to calm them down while Amethyst ushered Tanzanite away.

"They seemed really happy about that," Tanzanite said as pandemonium continued behind them, "I didn't overdo it, did I?"

Amethyst reassured her, happily and confidently, "No way, dude; you just gained a whole bunch of fans. I did almost the same thing when I first got here. See? I knew you'd fit right in."

"There's still one large problem here: I still have no idea what we're doing or even what this even is."

"Don't worry about it," Amethyst said, putting an arm around Tanzanite's waist, "Me and the boys will walk you through it. You're already a natural, so just follow our lead and you'll be golden."

Tanzanite nodded, even though she was still unsure about this whole thing, as they headed backstage. Over time, people started filing in and taking their seats. The venue began to buzz with life from the anticipating audience and the preparing cast and crew behind the scenes. The show was heralded by the flashing, strobing lights and bouncing blaring music. Tanzanite, at the very least, needed and wanted ideas on what to do and the feel of this whole pastime. She and Amethyst's part was thankfully later in the show, so she decided to watch the rest of the show behind the curtains and next to the director or 'booker' as she was called.

Very quickly, the red quartz came away with one clear deduction; this 'pro wrestling' … was the weirdest form of dancing Tanzanite had ever seen! She'd been in enough fights to know they weren't actually fighting. She also knew what impact looked and sounded like, and they were definitely making impact with each other and the floor; that much was evident from the various wounds of battle dotting their bodies when they came backstage. In addition, this stage or 'ring' was obviously not made for cushion or protection but to make a tremendous amount of noise; with every impact, it rattled, rumbled, and tremored, sounding every bit like a vehicle crash. Ultimately, she caught on to a resemblance to her battles in The Pageant, except this was playing an audience instead of the Diamonds and had the theatrics and dramatization turned all the way up.

Then, the time came. Tanzanite was called away from her spot at the curtain so all involved could prepare. One aspect was the crew taking her measurements … and noting in awe when she measured out to 7 foot 8 inches and 257 pounds. She then found out her moniker would be 'The Scarlet Sable', and she and Amethyst would the villains or 'heels' of the match; why the heel of a foot was considered villainous, however, was lost to her. Tanzanite and Amethyst finally took their places at the curtain as their 'opponents' walked out to the ring with their theme music…

After the music faded out, Smiley's voice came over the speakers, "Now, ladies and gentlemen, we have some good news and some bad news. Bad news: our other tag team had to cancel tonight." The audience responded with loud boos and jeers. "I know. However, we have some good news. In fact, it's incredible news: we've found an unbelievable replacement. Ladies and gentleman, back for one night only, The Purple Puma!"

Amethyst flashed a devilish grin and burst through the curtain. A chorus of gasps came from the audience followed by an outburst of very loud cheers, even though she was supposed to be a 'bad guy'.

As Amethyst climbed into ring, Smiley exclaimed, "Welcome back, Purple Puma!"

Purple Puma ripped away the microphone. "Outta my ring, Smiley!" She gave him an exaggerated growl, sending him scrambling out of the ring, then proceeded to sermonize, "Now, my buddy Tiger Millionaire couldn't be here tonight, but… Don't think that'll save you! Because the Purple Puma has been keeping a dark secret: The Purple Puma has a sister!" She pointed threateningly at the other team. "So, all you jerks in the audience, stand up! And you two, prepare for pain! Because this! Is! The Scarlet Sable!"

The lights went down as the song she gave them, Mick Gordon's 'Village of Whispers', began to play. She stepped through the curtain into the relative darkness as the song's intro winded down, though the people provided some light with their devices. The lights were brought all the way back up as the woman's scream signaled the beginning of the song proper, giving her a focused reveal.

The audience's reaction to her was much the same as the other performers, simply multiplied and amplified: there were gasps, stares, exclamations of disbelief, shouted expletives, and general signs of awe, as well as the seemingly obligatory picture-taking and recording with their phones; watching them as she walked to the ring, she honestly never knew humans could open their eyes so wide. She knew she was supposed to be a villain, but fortunately she only had to glare at people to make them shrink from her. Amethyst was now sporting a wide pleased and mischievous grin, so Tanzanite figured she must be doing it right.

Once Tanzanite stepped through the ropes, Amethyst discreetly said, "Take off your coat. Do it slowly."

Not in a position to question or even think about a request, Tanzanite followed the advice and only realized halfway through that it was actually a slow reveal of her toned, muscular physique. Another round of audible gasps and some female whistles followed, as well as a three syllable chant that started with 'HO-LY' ended in another expletive. Personally, she enjoyed the appreciation; she could see this was definitely one reason why Amethyst got into this.

Tanzanite quickly found wrestling far and away better than any arena fight she'd been in or seen. Despite how they made it look, they actually tried to minimize actual damage—she realized very fast that even 1/4th of her power was way too strong—and completely communicated with each other, with the opposite team even teaching her what to do on the fly on a few occasions. Meanwhile, the audience was actively in on the performance, reacting enthusiastically and accordingly when prompted, and clapped and cheered whenever the four of them did something complex or difficult, with Tanzanite getting particularly loud praise and oohs and aahs when she did anything even slightly acrobatic.

Throughout the whole performance, Amethyst was a wonder. She knew what to say and do and when to say or do it, in total command of the show. Amethyst was totally in her element and having an obvious blast the entire time. Tanzanite naturally wanted some of that experience, and Amethyst helped her achieve it. The two quartzes soon reached easy camaraderie and connection, working in tandem and pulling off intricate team moves with little need for warning or preparation.

Eventually, the match came to an end, and the crowd applauded all four performers and their display. The four of them received a second round of applause from the rest of the troupe as they walked backstage. Amethyst started to leave, but Tanzanite made sure to first thank the other wrestlers and crew before leaving. Tanzanite caught up with Amethyst a ways away, bouncing up and down, bubbling with fizzy happiness.

"Dude, you were incredible!" Amethyst exclaimed.

Tanzanite couldn't help but to also be overjoyed. "No, you were incredible! You owned that whole thing, top to bottom, start to finish!"

"Yeah, but you were a total prodigy. You pulled off everything perfect! And everybody loved you!"

Tanzanite let out a long laugh before she finally spoke again, "Amethyst, thank you so much! That was the most fun I've had in a while. You are top-of-the-line, certified a-one, sister."

Amethyst actually started to blush from that praise but managed to laugh it off. "Right back atcha, Red. And thank you; I forgot how much fun this was… It's really great having you here … sis."

The two quartzes started to bump fists … but Tanzanite grabbed Amethyst in a rough side-hug, and Amethyst affectionately elbowed her away, even as she herself couldn't stop laughing.

-XXX-

 _ **White Light Tale**_

The warp pad in the forest awakened with a column of light, and a moment later, Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, Steven, and Tanzanite stepped down into the brush. Pearl and Peridot had earlier found an odd electrical signal near the area and right away, they could tell this was the right place. A very faint signal pulsed through the area; whatever this thing was, it was here. Garnet started to suggest they split up to search…

"No, wait…" Tanzanite said, everyone stopping as she visually scanned the woods around them, "I think we should stay together."

Pearl asked, "Tanzanite, is something the matter?"

Still intently looking all around them, the red quartz paused before replying, "I feel there's something … or some things are here too. They obviously haven't found us yet and they probably aren't after us, but they won't be friendly if we run into each other… We probably have a few fights on our hands."

"Alright, Tanzanite." Garnet said, adjusting her shades, "How do you think we should proceed?"

Speaking with the knowledge and experience of a leader, Tanzanite relayed, "We go in a three-line formation: 1-3-1. Garnet, you take point; you lead the way and we'll follow. Steven, you're in the middle, right behind Garnet. You're on air control; keep your eyes up for anything overhead and make sure nothing comes at us from above. Pearl, you'll be behind Steven, covering our advance; you'll protect Steven's back and make sure nothing is following us or tries to attack us from behind. Amethyst and I will be next to Steven and cover the left and right sides respectively… Does that sound good? Everyone okay with that?"

The Crystal Gems all nodded in agreement, they all got into position, and headed forward into the forest. In truth, the signal made the search rather simple, allowing them to just follow in the direction it went. Soon, the pulse was so close they could all feel it in their gems … but they had to stop, Garnet and Tanzanite coming to a complete halt. The Crystal Gems had a lot of company that had also been following the signal.

Summoning her gauntlets, Garnet called out, "Everyone, brace yourselves."

Popping her knuckles and with a malicious chuckle under her breath, Tanzanite snarled, "Another pack of monsters to crush… Come on, uglies, bring it!"

A moment later, a small menagerie of corrupted gems emerged from all around, and launched into an all-out attack. The Crystal Gems battled while keeping formation around Steven, the young gem shielding and bubbling them against attacks they didn't see coming. The whole time, however, Steven was distracted and increasingly perturbed watching Tanzanite; the red quartz obviously relished fighting the corrupted gems and was really … tearing into them. Unable to ignore it, it was the first time he really noticed her semblance to Jasper.

One corrupted gem with a long snout of teeth lunged at Tanzanite, but the red quartz caught it by its jaws, one half in either hand. The corrupted gem let out a weak gurgle as Tanzanite braced to rip in opposite directions… KRA-AACK! POOF! Her cream-white gem fell to the forest floor. Another corrupted gem with six hooved legs and a mouth with two curved tusks escaping either side came charging at her, but Tanzanite halted this one by grabbing and holding her in place by her tusks…

"Steven!" Tanzanite called out, "Bubble yourself!"

Steven did as she asked without even questioning it. Tanzanite then swung the corrupted gem and mercilessly slammed her against the bubble twice! She followed through by lifting the corrupted gem over her head and bringing her down hard on her knee. KRA-ACK! The corrupted gem let out a few weak, crying squeals as Tanzanite dropped her, before the red quartz finished her with a forceful stomp. POOF!

Even with the attack wave ended, Tanzanite, teeth bared in exhilaration, chuckled to herself. "Anything else want to give us a try?!"

Steven called out, his voice shaking, "Tanzanite, stop! Please, stop."

Tanzanite looked over and saw and heard she was upsetting the young gem, so she calmed herself. As she picked up the two defeated gems at her feet, she tried to comfort him, saying, "Steven, it's okay. Your compassion is lovely, but you don't have to lose sleep over these … things."

"No, you don't understand. They're not things or creatures or monsters…"

"I'm sorry, Steven, but I've been fighting them for the better part of three millennia; I think the teeth, the claws, the snarling, the rampaging, and just the general menace … don't quite line up with your assessment."

Amethyst spoke up, "Actually, Steven's right, Taz."

"Yes…" Pearl added, her and Garnet just finishing bubbling the last of the gems near them, "We don't know what happened in your sector, but every one of these here … is a gem like us, or, at least, they were, before they were corrupted."

"Oh, come on; are you serious?" Tanzanite said, incredulous and half-laughing. Then, she looked around and saw from their somber looks that they weren't joking. "No… You're telling me all these creatures are gems…? Okay, this all sounds too crazy… Maybe, tell me how that's even possible."

Garnet and Pearl gave a very brief summary of the end of the war and the Diamond attack ended it and caused the corruption. Meanwhile, Tanzanite was still trying to make sense of it and reconcile their experiences with her own…

Finally, Tanzanite reacted to the account, "Well, the attack certainly fits Homeworld's M.O. Still, you're telling me they have a weapon that can make thousands of gems disappear in a flash? That can 'corrupt' and vanish them in a … in a-" A sudden rush of recognition washed over as she said the next words, "—in a bright … white … light."

Tanzanite had to look away from them, suddenly filled with great confusion and consternation. The idea had struck something deep in her mind and suddenly not only did their account make sense, but Tanzanite actually had some kind of recognition of it. But how? From where? From when? The train of thought was carrying her but she had no idea where it came from or where it was going. Unfortunately, the discussion was brought to an abrupt end…

Looming through the trees and darkness, shining lights in every direction was a large, hovering cylindrical machine. Steven instantly noticed a resemblance to the rocket machine that once attacked him and Connie at the movies, though this one was more up-to-date and much bigger. Multiple electric panels and displays sat all around its edifice, and electrical lines ran all along the machine's outside, shining with multi-colored light. The light lines all pulsed in tune with the signal…

"I think we have a winner." Amethyst said in awe for everyone.

Garnet noted, "I think it's safe to assume this is what those things in the desert was trying to connect to."

Tanzanite chimed in, "It's weird, but it looks like the same signal is what's attracting all the mons—corrupted gems here too. In fact, it kinda sounds like my … 'corrupted gem' call."

Sending her lance away, Pearl approached the machine. "We need to stop this thing immediately. Garnet, could you lend me your height, please?"

Pearl and Garnet got near the drone, Garnet lifting Pearl onto her shoulders, and Pearl started working on it, deciphering its systems and codes, looking for a way to deactivate it. It wasn't long, however, before the Crystal Gems had even more company. A chorus of growls, chittering, gurgling, and other eerie sounds slowly started up and combined into a cacophony around them. A moment later, another pack of corrupted gems emerged and set their sights on the Crystal Gems and the machine.

"Oh, that's not good." Steven said, nervously clutching Rose's shield.

"Don't worry, Stee-man." Amethyst gave him a confident smile. "Me and Red… We got this."

Tanzanite added, "Yes; cover Garnet and Pearl, Steven, and bubble the gems we toss to you, okay?"

Steven nodded as Tanzanite and Amethyst stepped forward. The corrupted gems actually hesitated slightly upon facing the two quartzes but still prepared to attack, Amethyst and Tanzanite exchanging knowing smirks. Then, the corrupted gems all lunged at them at once…

"TAG!" Amethyst yelled.

They locked arms, and Tanzanite swung Amethyst in a circle, the purple quartz kicking the corrupted gems in mid-flight and sending them spiraling back to the ground. Using the momentum, Tanzanite sent Amethyst rolling along the ground as she curled into a spin. Amethyst spin dashed in a wide arc and bowled through the corrupted gems just through as they were regaining their footing. From there, the two picked up where they left off the night before, fighting in sync, complimenting each other with Amethyst's speed, Tanzanite's adaptation, and both of their power. Steven was especially transfixed by their easy teamwork, as several sequences had them essentially dancing together with their attacks.

Soon, there was a rush of poofs followed by a quick volley of defeated gems tossed to Steven, with him dutifully bubbling them in short order. Tanzanite and Amethyst afterward looked around to see no more hostile gems around, and celebrated with high-fives and howls and whistles.

"Well, that was … flamboyant." Garnet took a moment to comment, "But great work, you two."

Steven, stars in his eyes, reacted much more exuberantly, "That was INCREDIBLE!"

The two quartzes started to turn away… GWOAR! The Crystal Gems all looked into the direction of the fierce roar as they felt the ground underneath them trembling. A huge corrupted gem on all fours emerged from the shadowed brush, and when she noticed them, reared up and stood on her hind legs, revealing she was at least a head taller than all the Crystal Gems! Completely golden and resembling a bear, she had sharp claws on all four of her paws. Her eyes were almost pure white as they were very wide open with the pupils disturbingly small, and had red streaks along the sides as if they were bloodshot. She snarled and revealed a mouth full of sharp jagged teeth with their tips colored a stomach-churning red. A yellow octagonal gem with notches on its sides sat on her right shoulder…

Amethyst let out a nervous whistle. "Oh, she's a big one."

Tanzanite rolled her shoulders while trying to analyze their new challenger. "And now that I'm looking for it and if I'm seeing it correctly, she definitely looks like a Topaz. Extra! Sturdy!"

"Then, let's get started! Speedball!"

Amethyst curled up as she leapt into Tanzanite's arms, and, with one smooth motion, Tanzanite rocketed her at the corrupted gem as Amethyst spun. The purple quartz scored a direct hit to the corrupted gem's chest … then very quickly dodged to the side and backward; unfazed, the Topaz-bear had lurched forward and snapped her jaws down with an audible CLACK, the bite inches away from taking Amethyst's head. Meanwhile, Tanzanite followed up by running two steps up a nearby tree, kicked off it toward the Topaz-bear, and blasted her with a stiff forearm and elbow to the snout. WHOA! Tanzanite had to quickly bend backward to dodge a vicious claw swipe that just whizzed past her nose, and then cartwheel out of the way as the next swipe obliterated part of the tree trunk right behind her. The two quartzes had to regroup near the others…

Amethyst recounted, "Okay, so we both hit her full speed and full force … and she didn't budge."

The sleeves of her coat disappearing as she summoned two hatchets to her hands, Tanzanite declared, "Right; no holds barred then!"

Amethyst in turn summoned two whips from her gem, and seconded, "After you!"

Tanzanite rushed forward and began clashing axes to claws with the corrupted gem while Amethyst began rushing around them, fiercely lashing the Topaz-bear whenever she saw an opening. With that strategy, the two quartzes set upon the bringing their ferocious foe down, with Tanzanite hacking away up close and Amethyst striking from long distance, the two dancing around each other's strikes. The corrupted gem soon started to wear down but that also made her angrier and more desperate…

Topaz-bear shouldered past Tanzanite and bayed right at Amethyst. The red quartz quickly cut off her advance, catching up and burying a hatchet in her shoulder. Tanzanite swung her other axe for a follow up attack … only for the corrupted gem to catch the weapon in her teeth. KRR-RUNCH! With one forceful bite, Topaz-bear shattered the weapon then lunged right for Tanzanite's throat! The red quartz managed to hold her, but the corrupted gem was inching her mouth and teeth ever closer… Amethyst made the save by quickly lashing her whip around the corrupted gem's mouth, and with a forceful snap, sent a wave of energy down it, the energy exploding right against Topaz-bear's head! Tanzanite took advantage: she lifted the corrupted gem on to her shoulder, drove her into a nearby tree, and slammed her into the ground…

"Pearl? Are you getting close to shutting that thing down?" Garnet hurriedly asked, seeing the situation getting dire.

Pearl, thoroughly harrowed, tried to explain, "I'm trying, Garnet, but this machine… Its code has so many traps and failsafes. It's extremely difficult to get any information from it or do anything to it without setting something off."

Tanzanite climbed on top of the still-prone corrupted gem and began raining heavy blows onto her head and neck. Topaz-bear was rapidly weakening under the point-blank assault when, in pure desperation, she thrust her head forward … and managed to sink her razor-sharp teeth into Tanzanite's forearm! Pain shot and surged through Tanzanite's whole form, so much that she could only let out an agonized hiss through gritted teeth. The corrupted gem rolled them both over and pinned the red quartz down, holding her bite on the quartz's arm the whole way, and rapidly shook her back and forth, gnawing away. The agony flared all over Tanzanite as she realized Topaz-bear was going to rip her arm off…!

Amethyst again made the save, this time with something much more physical; she leapt on the corrupted gem and trapped Topaz-bear's head under arm. The corrupted gem let go of Tanzanite and reared up in surprise as she tried to shake the purple quartz off…

Thinking fast, Amethyst called out, "Red! Give me a spin!"

Tanzanite, ignoring the pain in her still-screaming arm, took the still-holding on Amethyst by the waist and gave her a forceful throw sideways. Using the force, Amethyst ran along several of the trees, picking up more speed and twisting Topaz-bear around in the process, and then threw herself backward to the ground, driving the corrupted gem's trapped head in the forest floor! Steven gasped in astonishment at recognizing the essentially improvised wrestling move. A moment later, Tanzanite had shaken off most of the stinging in her arm, and now it was her turn to retaliate: she took the prone corrupted gem by the ankles then began swinging her around in a circle, smashing Topaz-bear's head and shoulders into multiple trees, before releasing her, sending her flying into another tree.

"Oh no…" Pearl said silently.

Suddenly, the signal stopped, and all the electrical lines and all but one of the electric panels on the machine went dark. Pearl leapt down from Garnet's shoulders, and she and Garnet jumped clear just in time; the Crystal Gems could only watch as the machine abruptly shot upward through the top of the woods and disappeared. Their main focus now gone, there was still one last thing to finish: Tanzanite and Amethyst looked back to see an exhausted and wobbly Topaz-bear barely standing; they only had to give each other a look to agree on what to do next.

"Meet'cha in the middle!" They said simultaneously.

Amethyst took off in mad spin dash toward the corrupted gem, but actually sped right through her legs. Because she was distracted with Amethyst, however, she didn't notice Tanzanite headed straight for her. Amethyst wheeled back around and leapt at the corrupted gem, and, at the same time, Tanzanite got a good distance and jumped at Topaz-bear from the front. THOMP! The two quartzes slammed into the corrupted gem with powerful strikes, crushing her in-between them. The corrupted gem let out one last, weak and pained growl of pain. POOF! Amethyst handed the now-defeated corrupted gem to Steven for him to bubble and send back to the temple.

Quickly switching attention, Tanzanite asked, "Any luck cracking that machine?"

Pearl reported with a sigh, "No. It will probably take both and Peridot and I to disable that contraption, if we ever encounter it again."

"Oh, I'm sure we will, very soon." Garnet chimed in, "But, we did learn one good thing..."

Amethyst hooted, celebrating, "Yeah! Quartz tag team is unstoppable, baby!"

The two quartzes looked to each other, and, as Amethyst had done before, Tanzanite spit into her hand and offered it to her. Amethyst happily returned the gesture, and the two slapped five and bumped fists in solidarity.

End Chapter

 _ **A/N:**_ **There we have it. Just once more for clarity: Helzberg is a jewelry store, particularly for diamond jewelry. That was a long chapter after a long wait. I apologize, and I thank you for reading all the way and I hope you enjoyed it. I will try to be more punctual with the next chapter, time willing, so there won't be such a gap this time. Now, I ask that you please feel free to give any feedback that you can offer; all is welcome (within reason) and appreciated, and I will try my best to address any suggestions or criticism you may have. Anyway, thank you again for reading, I really hope you liked it, and I hope you come back for more. And, as always, Rant, Rave, Review.**


	6. Garnet

_Disclaimer: Steven Universe, its characters, and settings are owned by Rebecca Sugar. However, if she wants to use my characters, she is welcome to them…_

 _ **A/N:**_ **Hello, fellow readers and writers. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy. First off, for future reference: Zales is a jewelry store chain. Now, some major developments for this story take place in this chapter, so this one is gets quite heavy, in more ways than one. I really do hope you like it, so let's get to it. And here … we … go:**

Steven Universe: Crystallize Red

Garnet

Thousands of gems… Vanished… Turned into monsters… Corruption… Bright white light… The story weighted on her for days, running back and forth through her mind ever since she was told. She struggled to puzzle out why the whole ordeal seemed so likely to her and where before she'd heard of anything like this.

Tanzanite was sitting on the last steps outside the temple, waiting for Steven as she agonized over the corruption again. She took out the glass of Azurite's shards and stared into them; she missed her partners and team members, especially their knowledge, opinions, and thoughts, especially right now. The red quartz softly clasped the glass in her hands, her eyes floating close as she thought deeply.

"Oh, Azurite... You could've figured this out."

"I don't know, love; this is all a lot to grasp and reconcile." Azurite replied, "All I can decipher is this familiarity is less concrete or professional … like it's not from a report but a memory or a story maybe."

Thulite spoke up, "I'm most concerned about those poor gems. Twisted out of shape, cracked to their foundation, broken into madness… I don't… I can't believe they can't recover, that they can't be saved. All the ones we beat down…"

Sphene chimed in, "There's no way we could've known, and they still needed to be stopped. As for a cure, even the Crystal Gems, who are a lot more knowledgeable than we are, don't know how to deal with this."

Tanzanite responded, "Maybe we can find a way. There's got to be a way to fight it, for all those gems!"

Tanzanite opened her eyes, but, of course, no one was there. She wasn't sure when it started, but these 'visits' were happening a lot recently, and they were only becoming louder, clearer, and more distinct each time. At first, it was just whispers, but now the comments were answering her thoughts and questions. One time, it was a small conversation that made the mind part of her gem hurt for hours afterward. Was she losing her mind? Or simply thinking through things in their voices? Some kind of 'talking to ghosts', like from that terrible horror movie she watched with Steven the other day? It was probably safe to rule out that one. Still, she was really at a loss of what these episodes were or how to even start to address them. There were a few things she did know: thinking out loud happened to everybody. Responding to those thoughts was probably innocuous. But still…

"Talking to the voices in your head is probably bad, no matter what species you are…" Tanzanite commented quietly to herself, putting Azurite's shards away into her coat again.

Coming out of the house finally, Steven announced, "I'm ready!"

With that, they set off on their way. They barely got past the gate when Tanzanite hoisted Steven up and sat him on her shoulders, to his giggling enjoyment. They continued on with Steven very much enjoying being so high up and Tanzanite enjoying his appreciation for being carried…

"Hey, Tanzanite…?"

"Yes, love…?" Tanzanite responded, imitating the Garnet would say it, drawing the young gem's chuckles with her affection.

After Steven caught his breath, he got back on track to what he started to say. "You and your team… I mean, if it's okay to ask, you all would fuse with each other, right?"

Tanzanite hesitated for a moment, but there was no harm in his question. "Yes, if a mission called for it … or if we just wanted to finish it quickly."

Steven cautiously continued, "Did you … ever fuse for other reasons, like to practice … or for fun?"

Tanzanite lifted her eyes to look at him as he looked down into hers. Of course, she saw he was kindly curious and smiled back at him. "Of course. We would love to fuse with one another whenever we could. We would never have been as close or as good if we didn't. It was so wonderful to feel Thulite's compassion or Sphene's excitement or Azurite's authority; they all loved my strength; and we all had curiosity to us. At the root of it, though, we all loved each other, especially Azurite and me. I mean, when we fused—" Tanzanite had to stop as she was getting carried away. Eventually she let out a wistful, nostalgic sigh. "Yes, I love fusion. I take you do, too?"

Steven proceeded to gush, stars in his eyes, "Yeah! It's so cool! You take two great gems, they get together, and they make one super awesome giant woman! And she has all new awesome powers! And she has everything great about the two gems but also a bunch of things that are great about her all on her own! And that's just the things I can see. Also, it just feels so good! Fusion is the best thing ever!"

Tanzanite let out a small joyful laugh, sharing in his elation. "You're right… Fusion is the most excellent and beautiful thing I've ever seen, felt or done…" Her tone turned rueful. "I miss it every day."

Wanting to cheer her up, Steven offered, "Well … maybe you don't have to miss it as much." Tanzanite again lifted her eyes to him as he elaborated. "You could … maybe fuse with us Crystal Gems…? I'm sure we'd all be up for it, especially Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst."

Tanzanite looked back down as she pondered what Steven just offered her. The idea had crossed her mind, but not the actual possibility. Steven's offer shot straight through her undeniably but also undefined. Why? Was it fear? No, what was there to be afraid of? Disgust? Absolutely not and absolutely never! Then maybe it was … guilt?

"I'm … gonna have to take a stay on that, Little Gem."

Steven responded with a small moan of disappointment, but his dejection didn't last long as they reached their initial destination: a bus stop across town. After some time, Connie arrived on the bus, her duffel bag and violin on her back…

"I'm sorry for taking so long, Steven, Tanzanite." Connie started immediately, "My mom had to work double time, and my dad is on another beach."

Steven cupped his hands over his mouth and feigned shouting, "Don't worry about it. Can you see me down there?"

Connie cupped her hands around her mouth and returned the mimed yelling, "Just barely. How's the weather up there?"

Shifting Steven onto one shoulder, Tanzanite offered, "How would you like to find out?"

Connie responded with pretend hesitation, "Mm, I don't know. I'm a little afraid of heights."

"Well, too bad; it was only a partial request."

Tanzanite scooped Connie up to a chorus of delighted laughter, placed the girl on her free shoulder, and the three of them headed back… The three spent their time on a blanket on the beach outside the temple, playing and harmonizing with violin, ukulele, and guitar. In particular, Tanzanite and Connie were practicing a song they were planning to play at the showcase. Naturally, Steven and Connie would break off often to banter and joke, with Tanzanite needing them to explain so she could be in on the jokes.

"Okay, so … he's a dog _and_ a helicopter?"

Steven's words came firing out of him from excitement, "Yeah, with rockets and explosions and everything!"

Connie added, "DogCopter's in movies, books, comics, videogames… He had a TV show, but it didn't last long."

They both put their heads down and their hands over their hearts in exaggerated mourning, Steven saying, "Truly a tragedy for our time."

"Right…" Tanzanite said, still trying to understand, "So, is there, like, a Cat Motorcycle? Or … a Bird Submarine? A Cobra Starship? Or a…"

"Fish Tank!" They both exclaimed before breaking into pleased chuckles and giggles.

Tanzanite couldn't help but laugh too, not for the joke itself really but their enthusiasm and reaction to it. They went back to playing…

When they took a break, Connie voiced, "Tanzanite… I'm flattered you want me to play this song with you, but … I'm starting to have second thoughts."

Both he and Tanzanite concerned, Steven asked, "Really? What's wrong, Connie?"

Connie sighed and said, "I don't know if I can play it when the time comes."

Tanzanite tried to reassure her with a smile, "Sure you can. We've got two whole weeks, and you've already got 3/4ths of it down."

Steven added, "Yeah, you're already so good at it; you learned it way faster than I could have."

Connie replied, "Well, the song is very fun, and I really like it. The thing is… I've done recitals before, but never anything like this. Then, I've never played a song this fast, and just…"

Tanzanite spoke, comforting and understanding, "Hey, it's okay. When it comes down to it, you don't have to do it if you don't want to. Personally, I think you would be amazing. It's not a formal event, so it's low pressure. Again, you've already got the song down, and you look like you're having a blast playing. And just because the song is fast doesn't mean we have to play it fast…" Tanzanite abruptly stopped and, for herself mostly, held up her hand as if to pause herself. "But again, if you don't want to do it, it doesn't have to happen. Just say the word."

"No, no, I'm not going to back out. Let's do it!" Connie flashed a still-pensive look but shook it away quickly.

Tanzanite saw it, however, and laid a comforting hand on Connie's shoulder. "Connie… Go at your own pace, and I'll adjust to you. You take the lead, and I'll support you… Use me to make yourself stronger."

Connie sat silently in awe as she absorbed the red quartz's confidence in her, and soon she smiled and nodded in determination. With that, they began playing again. Moments later, Garnet came walking toward them intently…

"Steven, Connie…" Garnet greeted them tersely before getting to the point. "Tanzanite, I really need help with something; can you come with me please?"

"What, now? Oh, but Connie…"

Connie admitted, "It's okay. I have to get ready to go soon anyway."

Steven protested, "Really?! But it's still early."

"I know…" Connie explained ruefully, "But when I'm taking the bus, I can't stay long. And since they changed the bus schedule a few weeks ago…" Connie then said with a sigh, "Anyway, don't worry about it, Tanzanite. It's always great hanging out with you."

"Absolutely. You be safe getting home." Tanzanite sent her guitar away and gave Connie a light side-hug.

Connie returned the gesture. "I will. You and Garnet be safe too."

Tanzanite gave both teens a smile as she stood, and she and Garnet started for the temple.

Garnet observed, "You've gotten close to Steven and Connie pretty fast."

"How could I not?" Tanzanite's tone then swiftly softened into a gush, "They are just precious."

Garnet actually had to chuckle at that expression. "That they are, yes."

As Garnet explained it, they were going on a warp pad patrol, and Garnet was very convinced they would find the machine. It did strike Tanzanite as odd and she wasn't sure why the fusion wanted her specifically. Still, the red quartz decided not to dwell on it too much as it did have one benefit: she got to have some time with a gem she hadn't interacted with much yet. Their first stop was an exotic island…

As they searched for anything out of the ordinary, Tanzanite began, "I understand this is an important mission, but I hope that doesn't prevent you and I having a chat."

Garnet said, completely monotone, "Of course not. Why would you get that idea?"

" _Because we're not much with 'the words'…_ " That was an unfair thought, so Tanzanite shoved it away. The red quartz nonetheless persisted, "It's just I've been here for—what's the word? 'Months'—and yet you and I haven't had a single chance to connect."

Garnet chuckled very slightly before saying, "That's fine. The fact you connected so well with the others so fast is more than enough to get my approval."

"Thank you, but… I still want to get to know you better. If I'm going to stay here, I feel I should at least vibe with everyone else. It's a thing with me; I hope that's not a problem."

"Not at all…"

The island produced nothing worrisome, so they left. Their next stop was the desert, looking for signs of a possible return of the machine or whatever the things were that pursued it…

Garnet started the conversation back up, "I am curious about something: you seem to have gotten used to everything so fast, but even before now, you seemed open-minded and flexible… That's quite different from just about every other Homeworld gem I've ever met."

"Well, I've always acclimated to new situations quickly. As for my mindset... I've always wanted to learn more, experience more, do more… At first, it was just watching other gems work. That turned into reading about other gems, present and past. It got to the point I started studying the ruins of past civilizations on the planets in my sector."

"Sounds quite dangerous…"

"Yeah…" Tanzanite admitted with regret, "It seems pretty obvious now… Anyway, what about you?"

"I use to only see one course, one action with one result. Then, one day, I learned to look at all the possibilities and take everything into account. I became so much better, more complete. That was the best day of my life, and I've never looked back."

"It shows. One thing I've been meaning to say to you: I am impressed and amazed at how well you're guiding and caring for your family; I'm actually a little jealous of how good of a leader you obviously are."

Garnet let out a flattered skip of a laugh and tried to downplay. "I'm not technically the leader; it's not like having a title or anything."

Tanzanite then chuckled and said, "Whenever something happens, they all look at you. That's pretty much the definition of being-in-charge."

"Still, it wasn't anything I planned or set out to do; it just sort of … fell to me. I really want to know your philosophy however, how you went about it."

The desert yielded nothing, so the two headed to the winter woods. Meanwhile, Tanzanite took a moment to get her thoughts and words together, and expressed, "Okay, here's how I put it… I'm a gem of passion. As you've seen, I like to bond with my teammates; I like to get close to them as well as get a pulse on them, mentally, emotionally, and all the other ways I can. In addition to just wanting and needing friends, I figure out what they want and need; I figure out what they excel at and where they struggle; I know what they should stay away from and what they can handle in their sleep; I know what hurts them so I can protect them or help them heal. I know what they need so I can push them or heal them. I know what they love, so I can give it to them or help them get it… It just feels like a satisfying way to solve problems, hopefully before they can even become problems… So, what about you? How have you managed? Or rather, what gets you through so well?"

Garnet stated matter-of-factly, "Me, I'm a gem of action." They came to a large snow drift blocking their way. Garnet simply summoned a gauntlet and coated in the fire. "I see something that needs to be done or needs to be said, then I do it." Garnet took aim and gave the drift a strong punch, blasting it away and clearing the path.

Tanzanite felt a sour and sharp pang biting her, an agonized twinge clutching at her chest. "Really? Just like that…? Tch, I wish I could just know what to do and when… That was a lot more bitter than I meant it, I'm sorry."

"No, no, I understand."

"No, it's just…" The two stopped, Tanzanite first with Garnet right after. Tanzanite turned somber, slipping her hands in her pockets. "I guess I'm one to talk, right? I can't argue with results… _Your_ family is still around..."

"No, Tanzanite… First, to be fair to you, I have my own advantages." Garnet lowered her visor, and Tanzanite, for the first time, saw the fusion's trio of eyes and, in particular, the third eye on her forehead. The red quartz recognized it as an eye of future sight and nodded in understanding before Garnet replaced her visor. The fusion continued, "I'm actually rather amazed by you. If you and I were switched … I don't know how I could've kept going the way you are. Your approach, what you said, is great and lovely. I don't know if I could've made it work as well as you did, or maybe at all."

Tanzanite chuckled as tears formed in her eyes, her voice shaky as she blinked them away. "Still… A whole lot of good it did them in the end … but thank you."

Silence fell between the two gems as they went on. The winter woods ultimately yielded nothing as well, but they had one more location to check. It was a location only Garnet returned to, and even she only came here sparingly: an old Homeworld land base. Most of it was gone, blasted apart by long-gone battles, and most of the surrounding area was now incredibly-vast rocky wasteland. Any humans that came upon this sparse collection of still standing walls and foundation simply had written it off as a strange rock formation. Meanwhile, as they traversed the unsettling location, Garnet knew the two of them needed a topic change; luckily, there was a big one.

"I like your new belt." Garnet complimented her.

Inspired by her wrestling trips with Amethyst, Tanzanite had a new accessory: an elaborate, intricately-designed belt with a prominent buckle and plates on the sides. On the buckle were the names of her former teammates, Azurite, Thulite, and Sphene, between the words 'Memory' and 'Honor'. On the plates were the names of the Crystal Gems inside star shaped designs. It was truly extravagant and probably a little gaudy, but fortunately she hadn't (and couldn't) make it very big, and Tanzanite was already a grand presence so it didn't look too out-of-place on her…

"Thanks. A little surprised you complimented it, really…"

Garnet continued, "It's definitely a bit flashy but it looks good on you. Its message is real nice too. I'm sure Amethyst loves it."

Tanzanite laughed and confirmed, "Oh, you know she did! She was going to make her own after she saw this."

"You two have gotten close pretty fast… Have you ever thought of fusing with her?"

Tanzanite wasn't facing Garnet, so the fusion didn't see the red quartz's eyes widen at the suggestion. "It's crossed my mind a few times, but it's never gotten very far. Besides, we've never really had the opportunity."

"You know it doesn't have to be an emergency for you to fuse. It can be good for many things."

"I completely agree. Fusion is a beautiful thing."

"Exactly… All I'm saying is if you wanted to fuse, we would definitely be receptive to it. Peridot and Lapis would be hesitant, but the rest of us would be more than willing. All you have to do is ask."

"I don't see that happening." Garnet immediately snapped her head to Tanzanite, not expecting a flat rejection. Tanzanite sensed it and elaborated, "Oh, no, I don't mean anything by it. You all are great and amazing, and your fusions are incredible, I can tell. It's just … I can't go there."

Garnet started to protest … when danger interrupted. Suddenly, they both felt the familiar signal and ran toward it. Sure enough, they came upon the machine in the back of the area just as it began emitting a loud pulsing screech.

"It's starting." Garnet said urgently, "We have to get the others!"

Tanzanite, just as urgently, replied, "No, you're faster than me. You go get others, and I'll hold off whatever that thing does until you get back."

Garnet hesitated. "Tanzanite … there's something I need to tell you."

Not looking away from the machine, Tanzanite replied, "No time. We need everyone to stop this thing. You need to go now." When she looked for a moment, she could see Garnet struggling with something. "Don't worry; I can handle anything this thing can dish out as long as you hurry back."

' _No … you can't_.' Garnet had to keep the thought to herself as she needed all the time she had; the fusion silently ran and disappeared into the Galaxy Warp. Tanzanite was only alone for a moment before the next event happened … the formation. All the pieces started to appear. From the west, a humongous rectangular beam with an obvious, multi-colored crystal center hovered into view. From the east flew in another huge rectangular beam, this one with a circular motor on one end. Then, from all sides came rolling 4 … 8 … 16 … 32 massive metal rings with metal cable running through them save a square opening in their centers, all the size of same cars. These were obviously the things that made the tracks in the desert.

Tanzanite watched in awe and horror as the pieces began to connect. The main machine, obviously this whole collection's control center, stopped screeching and start humming as it used levitation tractor beams to get all the pieces connected and cohesive. The two metal beams were lifted vertically and hovered right over each other, the motor on one lifted the highest while the crystal of the other was pointed at the earth. The rings were then levitated parallel to the ground and arranged all around and between the two beams, with the beams lined up perfectly in the center. With everything aligned, all the pieces fired out connecting cables into each other and set up a stable rigging for the entire massive contraption and stretched upward high into the sky to get some separation. Finally, the control machine hovered into place near the center and plugged itself into everything else, every piece coming to eerie, mechanical life.

"HO-LY Zales!" Tanzanite exclaimed.

She now recognized what this was; it was a pile-driver type machine: the motored beam was the hammer, the crystal beam was the spike, the rings were the column to guide it, and the control machine was the engine to power the whole thing! The whole diabolical mechanism then began loudly, furiously whirring! Tanzanite quickly ran under the bottom of the machine, right under the crystal beam, raised her hands above her head to catch it, and braced herself…

CLANG! The top beam hammered down, and the crystal beam crushed down on her. The immense power almost buckled Tanzanite immediately, but she held it up, still standing. The ground under her wasn't so strong however; the ground under the weight started to give, so Tanzanite had to transpose her coat under her feet to give her some stability. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! The top beam started jackhammering. Tanzanite was holding, but was relentlessly beaten down into a standing hunch until she was almost holding the beam up with her back. The machine soon halted for a moment with a loud, almost irritated hiss.

That was when the warp pad lit up. All the Crystal Gems reacted with shrieks and gasps of horror upon seeing the whole, titanic contraption. Steven immediately ran to Tanzanite with Amethyst and Garnet right behind then the others. Peridot ran forward but she couldn't take her eyes off the infernal machine and all its complexities. Tanzanite, upon seeing them, pressed the crystal beam up as she rose back to standing…

Steven frantically asked, "Tanzanite! Are you ok?!"

Tanzanite strained to answer. "Not… at… all…"

Very concerned, Amethyst asked, "Tanzanite, what is this thing?'

Tanzanite gathered her breath and explained, "This is a different setup but now I recognize it… This is a Blast Injector. It drives this crystal into the ground and detonates it… Blasts a huge crater under the surface and at the same time plants thousands of potential gems seeds… Cripples the planet and kick-starts new development… An instant Kindergarten!"

Pearl went blue with terror. "Oh my stars! And … the Cluster is still down there as well!"

"We gotta stop it!" Amethyst said. The control engine interrupted them all with a siren and beginning to beep loudly. "That doesn't sound good!"

Peridot reported, trembling even as she analyzed aloud, "It sounds like it's reconfiguring, probably going to a backup routine."

Garnet quickly commanded, "Tanzanite, brace yourself! Everyone else, get clear!"

The first two rings above Tanzanite and the crystal beam started to glow. The hammering beam and the two rings slowly rose in tandem. CLANG! The hammering beam with the added force and power of the two rings slammed down hard on the crystal beam and then pressed down. Tanzanite was swiftly crushed down into a full squat, groaning in anguish as she held it up. Tanzanite screamed with struggle, tears of effort forming in her eyes, as she pressed against the Injector's force until she was again standing. The injector finally let up for the moment, Tanzanite left breathing harshly as she held the crystal beam in place.

The others rushed back in, and Lapis immediately implored, "My stars, Tanzanite, you have to get out of there! This is too much!"

Tanzanite slowly shook her head in the negative. "This is … only way … to buy time."

The situation dire, Garnet stepped forward. "Tanzanite, listen to me… You have to fuse with me."

Tanzanite opened her eyes and looked at Garnet in shocked silence for a moment. "I… I … can't."

"Yes, you can, and you must. It's the only way."

"No, you don't understand… I…" Tanzanite's eyes clenched close and she grit her teeth in pain. More tears flowed from her. "I can't… Not without them… Not without her…"

Garnet definitely understood, but there was no time. The fusion's voice softened into pleading, "Tanzanite, please. If you don't fuse with someone … you won't survive; this machine will shatter you."

Tanzanite inhaled sharply and said resolutely, "Then … I _really_ need you to stop this thing, and with a quickness please."

Garnet grimaced, knowing she could only accept Tanzanite's choice. The fusion had to quickly switch focus. "We have to get up that control panel now."

Pearl said, "It needs both Peridot and I to shut it down."

Lapis reported, "I can fly you up there, but there's almost no water here, so it has to be one at a time."

Peridot added, "And we have to be careful. A machine of this advancement is likely to have multiple defense measures and routines, internally and externally."

That's when they all saw the four rings above Tanzanite starting to glow, gearing up for the next crush. Lapis began drawing as much water as she could from all surroundings, and realized her first assessment of nearby water was actually generous; there was next to no water in the ground, air, and the very few plants around. She was left making much smaller wings than usual, but they would have to suffice. Lapis grabbed up Peridot, and buzzed up toward the control.

They barely got close enough before they were met with resistance. The control machine uncovered several laser guns from its sides, and began firing at the two gems. Lapis had a much harder time dodging with the smaller wings, and Peridot was completely vulnerable. The laser fire only got more relentless after a few seconds, and soon it was a veritable shower of light coming at them. Soon after, a shot clipped Lapis' wing, and they were forced to land.

Both she and Peridot panting from the effort and danger, Lapis expressed, "I'm sorry. I couldn't break through; if only I had more water…"

Pearl reassured her with determination, "We'll find another way."

Again, the Injector interrupted them. The hammering beam and now four rings had already took position, and now slammed down with consolidated force! Tanzanite was crushed down to one knee and struggled to push the crystal beam back up… She started to press but stumbled back down to one knee. Finally, she pushed it back up as she stood with a roar, though her roar was more a groan of torture. Now, she had to use her upper back as well as her arms to hold the crystal beam, her eyes clenched and her breath raspy and labored from the strain…

"Red, no…" Amethyst said distressed. She quickly extended her hand, shouting, "Steven!"

Steven's eyes lit up when he looked to her; he knew exactly what this meant. They took each other's hands. A loud burst of light and smoke later, Smoky Quartz was standing there…

"Alright, back in action! Tanzanite, we're on it; hang in there!" Smoky exclaimed, though Tanzanite was too occupied to see or notice, "Pearl and Peridot, climb on." The gray fusion scooped up the two smaller gems in her single arm, produced a yo-yo in her branching arm, and began spinning over them like helicopter rotors. "Goin' up!"

Smoky with Pearl and Peridot sped up to the control machine, and like before, the guns began rapid firing at them. Smoky quickly produced a second yo-yo in her other branched hand and spun both yo-yos in a circle in the machine's direction to deflect the lasers, the force and sheer number of them held them in place momentarily. The gray fusion then changed the angle of her coptering yo-yos and, with an added push, broke through the barrage and got the three of them to the main control panel. Smoky in short order put Peridot and Pearl down and bashed the machine's guns into debris. Pearl and Peridot immediately started trying to shut down the Injector's computer…

With both sifting through the machine's code, Peridot commented breathlessly, "My stars, the code on this thing! This mainframe alone should be enough, but add in this level of encryption… So intricate, so complex, so sensitive to attack then quick to respond…"

Pearl responded, "We can admire the machine after we shut it down."

"I was wondering if we can even stop this Injector at all!"

Watching as 8 rings began to glow, Smoky announced, "Tanzanite really needs us to solve that mystery right now."

The hammering beam and the now eight rings slowly rose, and, with 4 times the strength of the first time, slammed down with an ear-splitting collision! The impact crushed Tanzanite down to her knees then pressed her down until she was completely folded in on herself. Garnet and Lapis rushed over to her just as the machine let up and she very slowly pressed the crystal beam up. Her entire body trembled as she fought to her feet, still crushed down into a crouch, raggedly huffing, incredible agony visible all over her…

"Tanzanite…" Garnet pleaded one more time, "Please. Scarlet, please!"

Lapis looked at Garnet in confusion over the different name used. Tanzanite looked at Garnet in shock but only for a moment as the situation wrested her attention right back. With every ounce of her strength going into holding up the beam, Tanzanite could only shake her head in the negative. Suddenly, the control engine started whirring in a different tone, and panels near the top slid up, revealing several cylindrical rockets. Flares of fire and combustion and the hissing of hydraulics followed behind them, and they flew out and started plummeting to the ground…

"Incoming!" Smoky shouted down in warning.

Garnet and Lapis prepared themselves, and Tanzanite opened her eyes to see what could possibly be next. The rockets planted in the ground surprisingly with no explosions, but then their middles shuttered open to reveal what looked like rows of vertical discs. Suddenly, spindly limbs emerged outward from them. The discs rolled free and unfolded into crab-like sentries, all with a single red, searching 'eye'. Soon, all their eyes centered on Tanzanite…

"Aww, Zales!" Tanzanite exhaled, exasperated and incredulous, "Please tell me you're joking?!"

Garnet said, summoning her gauntlets, "We'll take care of these. Just hang in there. Lapis?"

Lapis nodded and formed the remaining water into long whips over her hands. With that, both gems sprang into battle. Meanwhile at the top, Pearl and Peridot were having terrible trouble…

"It's no use, Peridot." Pearl shouted, thoroughly harrowed, "We can't hack the machine's code fast enough! We need to find another way."

After a moment, Peridot responded, "Agreed. We can't force a full showdown. But… we can shut down its back up protocols. We can stop it from locking into sequence if it's damaged!"

"Then, that's what we'll do. Smoky, when we tell you, we need you to hit this engine with everything you got."

"You got it!" Smoky produced and started twirling her yo-yo for momentum. "Ready when you are."

Now, 16 rings, half of the entire Injector, began to glow, the entire area filling with their foreboding and treacherous light. The whole machine rang out with cacophonous metal clanging as the 16 slowly rose, then gave an otherworldly drone as the rings prepared to come down. The hammering beam and the rings let a loud sinister hiss as they gathered strength for the coming crush…

Smoky slowed down her spinning to a stop as she watched with incredible dread. The others tried to focus but were still preoccupied: Garnet and Lapis tried to check on Tanzanite, but they had to keep smashing the small machines to protect her. Pearl and Peridot could feel what was about to happen through the control but they had to keep on course, lest they trip one of the control's defenses. Tanzanite could only brace herself as best she could, even though she was too exhausted and in too much torment for it to mean much.

A small click of release and then… CLANG! The hammering beam and the rings slammed down with combined might. With disturbing quickness, Tanzanite disappeared under the crystal beam with a cloud of smoke rushing out.

"Tanzanite! No!" Smoky screamed down as Pearl and Peridot clenched their eyes in regret but necessarily kept going.

Lapis could only manage a shocked whisper, "No…"

Garnet snarled in hurt anger, and in furious flash, finished the rest of the drones in seconds… Suddenly, the cloud of smoke was quickly sucked back under the crystal beam. That was when Lapis and Garnet noticed that the hammering beam and the rings were still pressing down on the crystal beam yet it was still stopped about a foot off the ground, a small light coming from the space underneath. Impossibly, the crystal beam slowly started going back up! The entire Injector started groaning from the resistance. The beam soon lifted up enough to reveal a deep red gem surrounded by white light in a vaguely humanoid shape, struggling mightily against it. Tanzanite, through sheer incredible will, was pulling her physical form back together even as she continued pressing the crystal beam back!

"She did it!" Garnet shouted up to others happily and relieved, Lapis finding herself instantly smiling, "Tanzanite's alive!"

Smoky shouted back in exhilaration and overjoyed relief, "WOOO! Yeah! Way to go, Red!"

Tanzanite was still in terrible shape. She regained her physical form but immediately fell to her knees again. She gasped for air, and her whole body trembled. Her clothes and hair were completely disheveled. The worst of it had the most horrible implications: her body started glitching and wobbling; that feat of strength and determination had cracked her…

Her voice shaky, cracking, and labored, Tanzanite pleaded, "I can't … take … another … one of those…"

Peridot called out, "Smoky! We're almost ready!"

"Gotcha!" Smoky produced her yo-yo again and began spinning it rapidly in preparation for a strike.

All 32 rings of the Blast Injector lit up, and all the Crystal Gems had their fear and panic shoot all the way back up again. Garnet and Lapis darted their eyes between Tanzanite and the control machine up above. Pearl and Peridot processed and reconfigured as fast yet as delicately as possible, all while they could feel the entire machine gathering all its strength. The roar of clanging metal and din of ungodly droning grew to almost unbearable levels. The hammering beam and all 32 rings rose up…

Pearl called out, "Smoky, now!"

There was a click of release… CRUNCH! Smoky smashed the whole top of the control engine completely off with one swing, and the top went spinning away to the ground. The Blast Injector froze in place for a moment, and all the Crystal Gems froze as well. A chorus of beeps rang out from all parts of the machine… Finally, all the rings dimmed to lifeless. The hammering beam retracted back up into its motor with a loud clang and a hiss. The crystal beam slowly retracted up off of Tanzanite and locked into place with several clicks from the surrounding rings. Lastly, the control machine died with a rapidly falling electronic tone. Pearl and Peridot cautiously pulled their hands away, paused in silence … then smiled.

Smoky commented, "Whew! Pulled the plug just in ti—"

With a series of loud snaps, the cables connecting the control machine to the rest of the Injector began rapidly disconnecting! Smoky grabbed Pearl and Peridot and leapt away just as the last cable flew away, but the control machine plummeted with mere inches to spare. Smoky yo-yo coptered them safely down, but the falling control machine was right over them! With Pearl and Peridot still in Smoky's arms, all three leapt away just in time as the control machine hit the ground with a violent smash and a cloud of dust. They got clear but, in the chaos, Smoky separated due to her two components dodging in opposite directions, with Steven holding Pearl and Amethyst holding Peridot. Garnet and Lapis rushed over to check on everyone and help them to their feet.

Tanzanite very slowly rose to her feet, the weight literally off her shoulders. She listlessly staggered forward, her form continuing to waver and glitch, but she only got a few steps clear of the Injector before she collapsed face down, unable to even lift her hands to catch herself. Her physical form stabilized, only for large twisting cracks to grow all over her. Her body fell still. Her eyes dimmed to lifeless. She barely saw through blurry vision the Crystal Gems running toward her. Just behind them, however, she saw three figures, three gems she would know anywhere: Azurite, Sphene, and Thulite…

Tanzanite mused with the whispers of air she had left." I'm on my way. I'll be with you in a second."

The Crystal Gems ran to and knelt next to her with Steven in the front. Steven moved her hair away from over her gem on the back of her neck, and the Crystal Gems all recoiled from the damage. The deep red gem was marred with several fissures, a couple of which almost went completely through from one side to the other. Steven wasted no time licking his palm and applying it to Tanzanite's gem … but to no avail; he lifted his hand after several moments to see no change. Breathing more frantically as he got more worried, Steven licked both his hands and placed both onto her gem. Another several moments passed and … again no recovery. Despair began growing in them all, dreading that it was too much.

"No…" Steven pleaded, his voice cracking and fighting tears, "Tanzanite, please…"

Finally, Steven leaned forward and kissed her gem, hoping and praying it would work. They all watched intently, all too afraid to move. Several more moments slowly passed... They all started bowing their heads, looking away, and closing their eyes…

…

…

A faint pink glow slowly bloomed around Tanzanite's gem. The cracks gradually closed and filled in. The gem gradually came back together and healed to wholeness. Finally, the deep red quartz gem finished recovering to pristine condition with one last flash. Tanzanite started with a deep sharp inhalation and her eyes opened really wide as she regained consciousness, only to then grimace from all the pain she was still in. The Crystal Gems all breathed sighs of relief and smiled as Tanzanite slowly and shakily lifted herself onto her hands and knees then sat up straight on her knees. She drowsily looked at them as Steven happily threw his arms around her neck.

"Hey, Little One…" Tanzanite said, her voice low and weak. She reached back to touch her gem and felt that yes, she was all together and like-new. "Did you … heal me?"

Not letting go, Steven exclaimed elatedly into her hair, "Yes; I'm so glad you're okay!"

Amethyst joined in with a hug of her own. "We couldn't let you down, not after you kicked that thing's butt."

Tanzanite very weakly hugged them back. "Thank you. Thank all of you."

Pearl responded as the three quartzes separated, "We should be thanking you. We only had a chance because you were here."

Lapis added, "You were very impressive."

Tanzanite started to laugh but winced in pain after the initial spasm. "Still, if you all weren't so good, I'd be dust right now."

Peridot expounded, "Well, technically, we would all be dust right now. But of course, we saved you; we always save the day … and thank you for saving us too."

Tanzanite's eyes met Garnet's, and they exchanged knowing smiles. "You know, this one time, I'm actually glad you were wrong."

"I'm really glad you proved me wrong…" Garnet then asked with concern, "Do you think you can stand?"

Tanzanite quipped, "I'm not standing right now? That's a shame; I've been trying to stand this whole time."

Garnet approached, lifted Tanzanite's arm over her shoulders while taking hold of her waist, and then propped her up to her feet, supporting her. Amethyst morphed herself up to size and took Tanzanite's other arm, supporting the red quartz on the other side. With that, the finally-successful Crystal Gems took their leave.

-XXX-

Everyone returned to the temple to rest. After some light furniture rearrangement, Tanzanite was helped to sit on the floor next to the couch, her back resting against the wall. Everyone save Garnet dropped into seats around the living room in relief and much-earned victory. Steven immediately took out his phone to text Connie and tell her everything that just happened. Peridot with similar speed produced her tablet and began documenting and analyzing this latest event. Tanzanite was still aching and slightly drowsy, but she had something to say, something she finally felt good enough to reveal. And, with everyone together, the best time to do so was now. The red quartz took a deep breath … then the pain in her body made her cough it right back out. Still, she forged on…

"Everyone, since we're all here, there's something I need to tell you… I haven't been completely honest with you."

The Crystal Gems stopped right away what they were doing to pay attention. Pearl and Amethyst looked over from the couch. Steven and Peridot stopped and looked up from their devices. Lapis got an abrupt chill down her back. Garnet however remained unmoved.

"I'm not Tanzanite … at least not completely. My real name is Carnelian. Scarlet type and alias. Facet 11. Cut 9UX…" Hums and nods of understanding followed, with Peridot even sighing a small breath of comfort at the logical distinction. "Tanzanite is… was… She was me and Azurite's girl, the gem we made together when we fused. With Azurite gone … Tanzanite can't be anymore, not how she was anyway. By taking her name as my own, I figured the part of her that's me could live on … in some way." All the other gems looked at each other, rapidly growing sadder. The red quartz quickly aimed to relieve that. "But you all deserve the truth, and… I think I'm well enough now that I can go by either name.

The others understandably took a few moments to absorb this new information. Peridot was the first to ask a question, "Is it acceptable… I mean, would you be offended if I simply referred to you as Carnelian from now on?"

Tanzanite gave a Peridot an unsurprised smile, saying, "Of course not. If it feels right to you, I _am_ a Carnelian."

Amethyst chimed in, "Well, I don't care what you are; you're still Red to me."

"Yeah, you weren't gonna call me my real name anyway." The red quartz pointed out. Amethyst pointed at her in response as if to say 'Bingo'.

Lapis nudged Peridot and spoke softly to her, "We should head back; I think we've had enough adventure for now."

Peridot nodded in agreement, and announced as they both stood up, "All right, everyone, mission accomplished; we've saved the planet yet again. So, with all things clear, Lazuli and I will take our leave." Peridot walked over to the red quartz. "Please stop by the barn soon, Carnelian. I have so many questions. Oh, and incredible showing today."

Lapis approached and placed a comforting hand on the quartz's shoulder. "I'm glad you're okay, and I hope you get some rest. You deserve it … Scarlet."

Tanzanite… Carnelian gave them a tired smile and a nod of gratitude. Lapis and Peridot headed to the Warp Pad and disappeared in a flash. Amethyst then got up and headed for the temple…

"I'm gonna crash too. Later!" Amethyst said before disappearing through the temple door.

Pearl said, "Yes, it is getting late. You should get ready for bed, Steven."

Carnelian called, "Wait. Before you go, Steven…"

She waved Steven over to her. He came over still smiling … and she scooped him up under his arms and brought him close.

"How are you feeling?" Carnelian asked, "You're okay, right?"

Steven chuckled, saying, "I should be asking you. You're going to be okay, right?"

"I am now, thanks to you." Carnelian's eyes began welling up looking at him. She tenderly hugged him close and he hugged her in return. She took in his natural warmth, the rhythm of his heart, his incredibly still-present sweet scent, and his comforting aura, thinking about everything that happened and he had done for her. A few tears escaped her eyes as she dropped a kiss into his hair. "This is the second time you've saved me. You are amazing and precious and lovely. I can't put into words how grateful I am for all you've done and how very happy I am to have met you." They separated slightly so she could look him in the eyes again. "I just really needed to you that … again."

Absolutely beaming, Steven replied, "Don't mention it: I'm just happy I could help you … and I'm glad I know you too."

Carnelian gave him another kiss on his forehead and said as she put him back on the floor, "Okay, now, listen to Pearl and get ready for bed."

"Right. Goodnight, Tanzanite."

Steven then ran off and disappeared around the corner, Pearl following him shortly afterward. Garnet finally sat down cross-legged next to Tanzanite…

"I'm sorry… Garnet started, "I should've understood, but I missed it. I'm sorry for pushing you."

Carnelian folded her legs slightly, resting her forearms on her knees, and replied, "And I'm sorry for not explaining myself better. I've got to get better at that since we're working together more… Garnet … this might be a little far, but I genuinely want to ask you something."

Garnet started to adjust her visor but stopped herself, saying, "Ask away. If it's too much, we'll call us even."

"How long has your Sapphire and her…?"

"Ruby."

"Ruby. How long has your Sapphire and her Ruby been fused?"

"Except for a couple hours here and there… Almost 5800 years."

"That's beautiful… If, Heavens forbid, something happened to Ruby… Would Sapphire ever want to fuse again? Or, what if she found a Ruby that was somewhat like her Ruby? It wouldn't be the same, but even if it was at least a little bit like what she had…" A long silence followed where Garnet pensively looked at Tanzanite then looked away again. The red quartz asked further, "On the other hand… Sapphire is very rare. Would Ruby even want to fuse with anyone else? Could she even force herself to do it?"

Garnet silently took off her visor and looked at the two gems in her hands, struggling the questions. "Those are … not scenarios I like to think about."

"I apologize. It's… I've just been asking myself those questions lately … about me and all of you and… I just don't know."

Garnet replaced her visor as she said, "I'm sorry I can't be more help."

"Don't be. Honestly, those kinds of questions are ones no one should have to ask themselves. In fact…" Carnelian nudged Garnet, and the two looked at each other. "I want to make sure Sapphire, Ruby, you, and everybody will always be okay. I did it today, and I'll keep doing it... Just like I did today and just like I plan to do from now on, I promise to do everything in my power to make sure the Crystal Gems will keep going, even if it shatters me."

Garnet gently smiled at the declaration and said, "That's great of you, but you don't have to promise that last part. In fact, I promise to do everything I can to make sure it will never come to you shattering… You're important to us too, and as long as you help me take care of everyone, I like our odds against just about anything."

Pleased with the agreement, Carnelian raised her fist to Garnet, and Garnet touched her fist to it, returning the gesture…

Carnelian finally expressed, "Well, just one thing left to do."

Carnelian put her hand over the right side of her face and closed her eyes to concentrate. Then, after a moment, she finished what she was doing and pulled her hand away to reveal it: her marking changed to a white star!

End Chapter

 _ **A/N**_ **: Alright, there we have it and much sooner than the last chapter. Another long chapter here, but I hope you liked it. Thank you for reading it all the way, and I hope you liked it enough to come back for more. Now, please feel free to leave a review and any kind of feedback you are inclined to leave. Any and all feedback is welcome, and I will do my best to address any concerns, criticisms, and/or suggestions as best I can. Thank you again for stopping and reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you come back to read more. And, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.**


	7. Steven and Connie

_Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, its characters, or its plots. However, Rebecca Sugar is free to use my characters and storyline if she so desires._

 _ **A/N:**_ **Hello, fellow writers and readers. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you like it. Merry (belated) Christmas and Happy Holidays! It's been a little while, and I apologize. To** **Naomi waters** **, I assure you that I did not forget; I'm going through some personal struggles and life simply has other designs on me and my time. I am sorry for taking so long though. In any case, this chapter may be seemingly innocuous, but it becomes very important in the course of things. Again, I thank you for giving my story some attention and I really hope you enjoy it.**

Steven Universe: Crystallize Red

Steven and Connie

"You know you want to fuse with them." Azurite said.

"And I know I can't." Carnelian replied.

"Scarlet, sweetheart, it's okay. It's okay to want to fuse."

"Then … why do I feel so guilty about it…?"

"There's nothing for you to feel guilty for… You love us, even now; that doesn't mean you have to stay tormented for eternity. I don't want that for you, and Sphene and Thulite don't want that either."

"I've been thinking about it more and more, but every time, I think about you all and especially you, what you would think, what you would say…"

"You know me, Scarlet. I always cherish what you and I have, and no other fusion can take that away. Think about this: I've never been jealous about your fusions with Sphene and Thulite…"

"But, this… This is different. Sphene and Thulite are family. These gems—"

"They're wonderful gems. Believe me, I would be a lot more upset about this if they weren't. You were lucky to find such a great group… I'm glad you did, and it would be a sad waste for you not to join them."

Tanzanite paused for a long while before speaking again, "Azurite… I love you so much. And I love Sphene, and I love Thulite… I miss you all so much, every day."

"I know; the fact we're talking now proves that. I know, no matter what happens, you'll keep us with you. We love you too. I love you so much too."

"My blue heart…"

"My red sky…"

BRRDRRR! Tanzanite opened her eyes due to a heavy, shattering thunderclap. The red quartz was still sitting on the floor next to the couch in Steven's house; she'd fallen asleep with her back still against the wall. Her head was down on her still-hitched up knees, her forehead resting on her forearms.

This 'dream' was like most of her other 'visits'. Azurite was so clear, distinct, and real. She could feel Azurite sitting next to her, Azurite's hands in her hair, Azurite's head on her shoulder… Carnelian wasn't sure, however, if the conversation would've been Azurite's real opinion or if she was just trying to make herself feel better about any potential … 'betrayal'. She hoped that wasn't the right idea, but all thoughts on fusing ended with that word. Ultimately, these interactions were only making her even sadder.

Carnelian finally lifted her head and took stock of herself and her surroundings. She must have nodded off, and the others didn't want to wake her. It was very dark, not helped by the driving rainstorm outside. She felt a warm and heavy cloth garment on her shoulders, so she reached back and brought it forward to see it was a blanket. She slowly stood, stiff and realizing her belt had dug quite uncomfortably into her waist. The red quartz looked over the edge of the loft and saw Steven sleeping in his bed uncovered and slightly shivering. Oh, this kid…

Placing her hands on the edge, she lifted herself up onto the loft and put his blanket back over him, tucking him snugly into it. She couldn't help smiling as he settled into the warmth and comfort. Carnelian carefully lowered herself back to the floor level, went to the door, and took one last look back into the temple before heading out into the storm.

-XXX-

Connie was on the way for her weekly visit. It had been a few days since the Blast Injector incident, and Connie was slightly miffed that she missed the entire ordeal. However, Steven helpfully spent every moment of the intervening time relaying every detail to her. Now, Steven and Carnelian were waiting at the gate for her arrival. It was suggested the red quartz be there to meet her as well; the others were all happy to Carnelian's new star marking, and so was Connie. So, in addition to being overjoyed to see Steven, Connie really wanted to see Carnelian especially after everything she'd heard the red quartz had gone through.

Connie and Dr. Maheswaran soon came driving up, and when they came to a stop, Connie leapt out. She and Steven sped right to each other, but neither noticed Dr. Maheswaran also getting out of the car. Steven and Connie were speaking to each other a mile a minute when Connie noticed her mom out of the car … and making a beeline right for Tanzanite! The two teens realized the two of them had never met, and they had no idea how either would react to the other. However, it was too late to stop it now…

Carnelian was leaning back against the gate as the set-list for her showcase blasted into her ears through a borrowed mp3. Her hands were by her sides but she was still mimicking the finger motions for the guitar along with the songs; she had it just about perfect now. The red quartz looked up to see a human woman come toward her: she had the same physical configuration with minor differences as Connie, except bigger and more mature; obviously, this was Connie's mother. She walked with confidence, purpose, and command, all things Carnelian liked, but the red quartz also noticed a bit of … irritation, maybe even hostility. Carnelian stood up straight and took her earphones out to face her…

With Steven and Connie right behind her, Dr. Maheswaran stopped in front of Carnelian and said, "I don't believe I've ever met you. I'm Dr. Priyanka Maheswaran, Connie's mother."

Carnelian paused a moment, then responded with surprising ease and acumen, "No, I'm sure I haven't had the pleasure. Nice to meet you, Dr. Maheswaran." The red quartz offered her hand. "I'm Scarlet, Steven's aunt, Rose's younger sister…"

Dr. Maheswaran cautiously returned the gesture. "I see. Now, that's something Connie hasn't told me about you. I take it you're the one who came here some 5 ½ months ago?"

"Yes, about then…"

Connie's mother crossed her arms and said accusingly, "Then, I also take it you're the one responsible for her state of mind then?" Scarlet gave a confused a look in response as Connie's mother continued, "Imagine my concern when my daughter came home that day … distraught but she couldn't tell me exactly why. She … cried for days."

"Oh … yes." Carnelian replied somberly. "In hindsight, what I showed her was probably too much; I know it was to go through it. I assure you, though, that she cried only out of empathy for me; Connie is exceptional that way."

Dr. Maheswaran sighed but didn't give an inch otherwise. "She is… However, I still need an explanation… Just what exactly has brought you here to Beach City?"

"Loss… Heartbreak…" Carnelian said, rapidly saddening. She explained, "You see, I was in military service not long ago. But, almost six months ago, my unit and I … were betrayed and caught off-guard. I was the only one that survived. Along with my whole squad, one of the casualties…" The red quartz pushed up her left sleeve to reveal her vambrace especially the ring on her finger. "… was my wife."

Priyanka softened considerably, saying, "Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss. I didn't know Gems got married. I'm sure you must be devastated, and I see why you wouldn't feel like telling a lot of people."

"Thank you; I appreciate that. And to be fair to you, it's probably not what you call 'marriage' but it's as good as." Carnelian then caught on to something Dr. Maheswaran said. "Wait… you know about Gems?"

"A little yes, though it took a lot of suspicion to find out that much." Carnelian looked at Steven and Connie as Dr. Maheswaran continued, "But even if I didn't know, it wouldn't take much of a look to see you're … nonstandard. Although, you do have a very convincing human impression."

"I assure you, I wasn't trying to deceive you. It's just that saying 'I'm a shapeshifting alien rock woman' … seems like a strange introduction. I'm a little impressed at how well you're taking it."

"Trust me, I didn't at first. But somehow, you get use to all the fanciful things that happen here… It also helps to realize how we're similar, especially in life … good and bad."

"I wouldn't wish anyone's life to be similar to mine, at least what happened to me…" Carnelian then revealed, "To be honest, when I came here, it was to be alone. But then, I found this place and the people here… I realized I needed to be around good people, something like family."

"I definitely understand that… Well, it's been almost half a year; any plans on what you're going to do or where you're going to go?"

"Well, it's not like I have anywhere else to go, but… With all the great things and people here in Beach City, if it's alright, I'm thinking I'd like to stay." Carnelian looked to Steven and Connie. "In fact, Connie is a large reason for that. You should be proud of her; she didn't even know me but she's helped me just as much as all the other gems, and in some ways even more. I am telling the truth when I say she is exceptional."

Dr. Maheswaran gave a small smile to her daughter. "Yes, she is… Well, I should go; I'm already behind schedule. It's nice meeting you, Scarlet."

They shook hands again as Carnelian replied, "The same. We should talk again sometime."

"If I ever find the time…" Priyanka turned to the teens. "I'll call you when I'm on my way, Connie. Good to see you too, Steven."

Connie called out as her mother walked to the car, "Bye, Mom."

"Bye, Dr. Maheswaran." Steven added.

Dr. Maheswaran got back into the car and drove off as the three headed for the temple.

-XXX-

As the three entered the temple, Tanzanite directed, "Alright, you two, go get ready and I'll meet you up there."

The two teens scampered off as Tanzanite headed for the warp pad. Pearl, who was in the kitchen, quickly approached the red quartz…

"Tanzanite? Please wait a moment…"

Tanzanite stopped and turned to her. "Yes? Is something wrong?"

Her fingers nervously steepled near her chest, Pearl said, "First, I want to thank you for training Steven and Connie today, but I have to make sure… I mean, I ask you please be careful with them."

Tanzanite happily obliged with a smile, "Of course. I wouldn't dream of hurting them."

"Yes. It's just… They are both quite strong now, but _you_ are…"

Tanzanite nodded in understanding, saying, "I see, and I definitely get where your concern is coming from. I will be cautious. I mean, I haven't given you a reason to not trust me yet, have I?"

"Well … no. I suppose you got me there." Pearl then gave a forced chuckle, still unsure as she slightly wrung her hands.

Tanzanite knelt to get closer to Pearl's eye level, and gently put her hand on Pearl's to steady them. "Listen, if you're still worried, you should come up to the arena and watch. I've already invited Amethyst and Garnet, and it would be great if you, their regular trainer, were there too."

"Yes, you're right. I mean, yes of course, I'll be there."

"Great. Now, I won't go easy on them, but I'll make everything to their benefit and their health…" Tanzanite looked right into Pearl's eyes. "I promise; I'll be on my best behavior."

Carnelian then gave Pearl a confident smile with half-lidded eyes followed by a slow soft wink. The red quartz then casually strolled over to the warp pad, not noticing Pearl blushing a light blue from the gesture.

-XX-

Decked in their training clothes, Steven and Connie, Rose's sword resting on her shoulder, arrived at the arena from the warp pad and sprinted up the steps, Garnet and Pearl warping in after them. Carnelian was already waiting in the arena and enjoying a breeze rolling through it. The two teens ran up to her…

Connie excitedly expressed, "Thank you for training us today, Scarlet. Your approach and perspective is too valuable to pass up."

Just as excited, Steven said, "Yeah, we can't wait to learn all the cool and awesome new stuff you're gonna teach us."

Carnelian gave a small laugh. "Alright, you two; your enthusiasm is good. I'll try to live up to it." The red quartz looked over to see Pearl and Garnet sitting down and gave them a nod of acknowledgment. "Now then… I have a couple questions. Steven? You can throw your shield as a projectile?"

"Yes ma'am!" Steven straightened up and answered with exaggerated formality. He then formed his shield and tossed it into the distance before calling it back.

"Okay. Now, how many? And how fast?" In response, Steven took a deep breath and began rapidly forming and throwing many copies of his shield. Carnelian, after a moment, put up her hands to signal him. "That's enough. Now, Steven, here's what I want you to do: throw your shield but keep control of it and stop it in mid-air. Like this…"

Carnelian formed a large hatchet in one hand, the sleeve on that arm disappearing, and flipped it straight up into the air … only for it to not come back down. She then motioned for Steven to try. The young gem took another deep breath, formed his shield, and concentrated as he threw it horizontally like a Frisbee. This time, he kept his hand in position as he tried to exert control over his thrown protector. The shield slowed down until it came to a mid-air stop, wobbly hovering at first then steadying flat.

"I did it!" Steven said happily.

"Good. Now, keep concentrating on it. Keep it up; don't drop it… Now, no matter what happens I want you to hold it there. No matter what…"

Steven nodded and looked back at his levitating shield. Carnelian walked over to Steven … and picked him up! Steven started to react in surprise but kept his focus on holding the shield, as he was instructed. The red quartz carried him over and then stood him on top of the levitated shield! This naturally threw off Steven's effort, not just from having the shield weighed down but also from that weight being him. The young gem briefly lost control but recovered…

"Now, hold onto that and yourself for a moment, as long as you can. Okay?" Steven gave her the smallest of nods. Carnelian then turned. "Okay. Now, Connie…?"

"Ma'am?" Connie straightened up as Carnelian walked back toward her.

"Sword up…" Carnelian formed a hatchet in her opposite hand with that sleeve disappearing as well, as Connie took her sword stance. "Now, what you need to be aware of is your defense. You have this beautiful saber with all its range and power, but sadly those wide, sweeping strikes leave you open if you miss or get blocked. I'll show you; give me a forward thrust, low strength please."

Connie stabbed as instructed, and with one motion, Carnelian blocked the strike and feigned a strike from her hatchet.

Carnelian continued, saying, "You see? Now, you have a little bit of an advantage in that this sword is actually bigger than you are, so if you're facing a smaller enemy, they might not be able to reach you even if you do miss. Still, if it's someone big like me or someone with a projectile weapon, it could still be a problem. So, what I want you to work on is defending against counters: consider your entire blade, its edge, its flat, its hand guard… Know that just a simple shift or twist of the sword or you, and you're in position to block. Let's try it: give me another stab."

They both took a step back. Connie again thrusted forward, and Carnelian again blocked and countered. This time, however, Connie had a response: with a small step backward and a small raise of the bottom of her blade, Connie deflected Carnelian's attack away, making it harmless…

"Excellent!" Carnelian praised before she walked away, "Now, hold that thought."

Her hatchet disappearing and her sleeve reappearing as she went, Carnelian rushed over, and lifted Steven up under the arms. The young gem hybrid immediately relaxed with a loud whoosh of an exhale, his arms and legs going limp and his shield disappearing.

"Phew! Thanks." Steven said, breathing little heavier. "I didn't know if I could hold it much longer."

Carnelian placed him on the ground and explained as they both walked back to Connie, "That will get better with more practice. But you did marvelously for your first time! The reason I want you to work on that is for utility: if you can hold it with someone on top of it, you give yourself or someone else a platform to stand on or if you're quick enough, a transport you can ride on…" They stopped next to Connie, but Carnelian walked a bit away while picking up a rock as she continued. "Also, if you keep it in mid-air long enough and keep it unseen…" The red quartz then lobbed the rock upward next to her … and the first hatchet fell to the ground with incredible force and obliterated the rock before planting in the ground. "You can give yourself a nice sneak attack. Now, you both keep those ideas in mind, and you'll be a bit closer to unbeatable."

"Whoa!" Steven exclaimed, as Carnelian dissipated the hatchet, her other sleeve reappearing to make her coat whole again. "So cool! What's next?"

"Next?" Carnelian chuckled. "Well, next, we start the training."

With both of the teens' eyes opening a little wider, Connie commented, "A tough lesson that's actually just a warm-up…"

"I know…" Steven reacted. They both then smiled. "Just like the movies."

Connie exclaimed, "We're ready for anything, ma'am!"

"You're only more excited now… I knew I liked you two." While straightening up to show her full height, Carnelian slowly flared the bottom of her coat out behind her and crossed her arms over her chest, her coat and hair now billowing at length behind her.

Both of them with stars in their eyes, Steven said in an impressed whisper, "She's got 'Dramatic Wind' too!"

"Of course. Can't have a proper introduction without it." Carnelian's tone changed to one of authority. "Steven Quartz Universe, Connie 'Lord of the Universe' Maheswaran, I am Scarlet Carnelian Tanzanite, and I will be your trainer today." Suddenly, her voice changed to something more … foreboding, putting the others a little on edge. Carnelian's eyes floated closed, and an eerie smile grew on her lips. "Heh… Finally a chance to truly cut loose. Kids … we're about to get a little … dangerous. WEAPONS UP!"

The teens were startled into fighting stance by the red quartz's sudden thunderous shouting. From there, Tanzanite's demeanor continued to change for the terrifying. Her hands unclenched into claws. She bared her teeth into a quite sinister grin, her prominent canines and sharp back teeth plainly visible. She opened her golden eyes to reveal a wild and intense glare. The red quartz took a deep breath… GWOARRR! She let out a loud deep roar into the sky that rattled the teens, made Garnet recoil, and made Pearl jump to her feet. The red quartz finally looked back down with her still-savage look.

"You're both shaking…" Carnelian said, her voice now harsh and guttural, "… but you still stand your ground…" Then … she chuckled and her tone reverted somewhat to normal. "Very good; you called my bluff. But you both know there are a lot scarier out there, and their displays will be real. It's no surprise you didn't cave to intimidation, but be sure to keep it up."

They DIDN'T know she was bluffing. Steven and Connie relaxed a little but not all the way, their hearts still racing. Pearl slowly sat back down. Carnelian was calmer but she still looked a little frenzied and definitely still primed for attack…

"Now, your first task… hit me."

With Pearl very nervous now, Steven asked, "You want us to hit you?"

"Are … you sure about this?" Connie added, "I … don't know if we can do that."

"Maybe you can, maybe you can't. We'll need to find out together. Together, apart, in tandem, one at a time, you decide. Just come at me with everything you got; see if you can land just 1 hit."

Steven and Connie steeled themselves after a moment of uncertainty, and gave each other a nod. A brief stare-down commenced between the two kids and the red quartz … then Connie and Steven charged! The two teens went into their duet: bobbing and weaving with and around each other and alternating the lead between themselves, with little to no speaking needed. The whole thing was more of a dance than anything with the pair so in-sync and honed by this point that it was practically flawless.

There was one problem, however: Wherever they attacked, Carnelian wasn't there. Scarlet's agility and dexterity shocked even the other gems. Only Amethyst had any idea, while Pearl and Garnet struggled to even remember another quartz that moved quite the way she did. Carnelian spun, slid, ducked, stepped, shifted, hopped, and dodged in every direction and avoided every strike from her smaller and faster charges. Incredibly, she achieved this purely through footwork, keeping her arms folded throughout. Eventually, she used her hands but only briefly … to do splits and handstands out of the way.

Actually, those maneuvers were a good sign for the two teens; Carnelian needed the more elaborate maneuvers to stay ahead of them. All they needed now was an opening. Steven and Connie finally caught the red quartz on the back foot and came at her from both sides… Scarlet easily stopped both attacks, catching both Steven's shield and Connie's sword, with one hand each. The stop was so abrupt and complete that it sent vibrations through their arms. She held them frozen in place for a moment before breaking into a smile…

"Very good, you two." Carnelian praised them as she let go of them, "I couldn't dodge those attacks. Okay, reset." The duo and the quartz stepped back from each other. "Are you two alright? Do you need a little break?"

The two checked themselves and each other with Steven wordlessly leaving the final word with Connie. "We're okay, and ready for what's next, ma'am."

"Oh good… Now! This second phase is much like the first, only this time … I will fight back. You must focus now on defense as well as offense. This time, you have to get two hits on me… Get ready."

All three settled back into fighting position, but this time, Carnelian charged. This battle was much like the first, but much more dire with the addition of Carnelian's immense power. It quickly got to the point that Steven and Connie had to dodge her because blocking her strikes still threw them off-balance, even with it not even being half of the red quartz's strength. Then, there was the matter of Carnelian's control; she only had to strike a few times, but she did so with such speed and explosion of power each time that they felt every single one long afterward. The situation grew very harrowing for Connie and Steven very quickly.

Carnelian eventually got the duo separated and turned her focus on Connie, blocking the girl's slashes while steadily advancing. Connie continued to attack even though she was being forced to back up, and she knew she had to do it. WHOOSH! Carnelian dodged just in the nick of time as Steven's shield flew past. The red quartz turned and instantly sped toward the young gem, Steven immediately bubbling himself. Carnelian braked just in time to not slam into the bubble … but then grabbed hold of it and hoisted it and Steven overhead! Connie rushed over to help, but the experienced quartz saw her … and bowled Steven and his bubble at Connie! The girl had to stop, and halted Steven's uncontrollable roll, the young hybrid breathing his thanks to his friend.

There was no time to rest however as Connie could see through the bubble that Carnelian was coming again, and jumped backward just as the red quartz vaulted over Steven's bubble, and went back on the offensive. Connie still couldn't come close to hitting Carnelian until she forced an opening and struck… Carnelian however clapped the blade between her hands to catch it. She then began twisting the blade back and forth and in every direction to disarm her young charge, forcing Connie to hold on with all her strength.

CLANG! Steven's shield smashed Carnelian right in the head. She let go of Connie and held her head from the shock and impact. She didn't know how she didn't see him throw it … but then realized she did see the throw: the earlier throw she dodged; he'd used the technique she just taught him. The red quartz felt pride in her young charge even as she couldn't see straight. Meanwhile, as Carnelian was preoccupied with her rattled head, Steven ran in front of her with his shield and knelt in position, and Connie, with no need for prompting, sprinted forward. Once at the right distance, Connie stepped up in stride onto Steven's raised shield, and Steven boosted her up toward Carnelian. Connie finally landed a perfect kick right to Carnelian's face, the attack staggering the quartz … even though she didn't go down.

Holding her face, Carnelian let out a loud growl of pain, the two teens again freezing in place as she shook her head. Carnelian lowered hands … and flashed them a big smile again.

"You know, at this rate, I'm gonna run out of things to teach you. You two learn fast." Connie and Steven relaxed as Carnelian continued her praise, "In fact, you both get extra points for using what I just taught you against me. Very good adapting on the fly like that." She punctuated by approaching and affectionately ruffling both their hair. "Now, take a break; 10 minutes, and go do whatever humans do to refresh. But, don't be late coming back; I think I have a little surprise for you."

Steven perked right up. "Surprise?! What kind of surprise? Can you give us a hint? Is it a—"

Carnelian very lightly poked his button nose. "Now, now, if I said any of that, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?"

Connie was also getting very excited. "In that case, we don't need a break. We can keep going."

"Okay, then, _I_ need a 10-minute break… It's okay; I'll be here when you get back. Go on." Carnelian lightly turned them and shooed them away…

-XX-

Carnelian sat reclining on the steps and feeling very good about the whole session. Actually, Steven and Connie hadn't gone anywhere, and were simply sitting on the opposite side talking to Pearl and Garnet, possibly getting additional instruction. The red quartz debated whether to go through with the surprise, but they did do very well and responded very well to everything. Nevertheless, she was enjoying her time with them as always.

She, of course, found them warm and kind, open and enthusiastic, altruistic and motivated; they really were incredible sweethearts. They were great on their own, with Steven's intuition and thoughtfulness and Connie's inquisitiveness and poise, but them together… They communicated openly and honestly, helped and covered each other, and supported and encouraged each other. Celebrating, laughing, and sharing, they fit together and worked to stay together. It was a little indulgent to think, Carnelian realized, and they were a little young to think of 'love' but they were well on her way. Frankly, she was surprised how much she really wanted them to have something, at least, a little like that.

Suddenly, Carnelian felt an ache in her head and her gem. She thought it was an aftereffect of Steven and Connie's attack but this felt … different, somehow closer and deeper. Her eyes started to tingle and sting; she clenched and rubbed them to regain herself, thoroughly confused and increasingly concerned about what was happening to her. Then, she saw… Sphene! Walking across the arena toward her…!

"No, they're taking a brief respite before they resume." Sphene commented as she walked past.

The small green gem walked over and sat in a swiveling chair that also came out of nowhere, talking to someone but only she was heard. And this was not an illusion or a reverb; she was literally there! Carnelian could feel and sense her in every way. She could even feel that slight static aura tech gems emitted at all times! Her eyes aghast and mouth ajar in abject shock, Carnelian slowly stood and slowly approached her in a thunderstruck trance. She didn't take her eyes off of Sphene or even blink as she stopped right in front of her. Sphene wasn't paying close attention and only looked up after Carnelian was standing in front of her for a moment. The small green gem slowly looked all the way up into Carnelian's still bewildered face and eyes … and turned a pale yellow in realization they're were indeed actually sharing a gaze…

After a tense silent moment, Carnelian spoke in a cautious whisper, "Sphene?!"

Sphene couldn't look away but made a frantic gesture off to the side, obviously trying to be discreet… BRRZT! Carnelian's vision cracked and quaked like a computer glitch, and a splitting pain started in her head and gem and lightning-bolted through the rest of her. The swift shock and all-encompassing pain brought her to one knee. She clutched her head, clenched her eyes, and grit her teeth as she tried to endure the wave of pulsing and debilitating agony. Steven and Connie saw this and, of course, came running over.

Steven called out, worried, "Tanzanite?! What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Also worried, Connie added, "Take deep breaths. Did something happen to you? Please tell us if we can help…"

Carnelian glimpsed the two teens, saw their worried and terrified faces, and knew she had to recover fast or at least respond…

"I'm… It's okay. I'm going to be … okay." The red quartz forced out with great effort a weak chuckle. "You two must've hit me harder … than I thought."

Still shaken, Steven commented, "Tanzanite, you don't look okay. Please, we can do something if you need us to."

Connie added, "Yes, please let us help you."

Carnelian placed her hands on their shoulders as she blinked really hard a few times, trying to normalize her expression and hoping her eyes didn't look as shaky as her vision still was. "Hey… I'm going to be fine. I'm sorry I'm scared you. But, I'm already feeling better. Don't worry, okay?"

Pearl and Garnet were close now. Carnelian forced herself to give a hopefully-comforting smile. Steven and Connie were still unsure but gave shaky nods, so Carnelian hugged them both to get them to start to relax.

The red quartz released them, saying, "Now, I'm gonna need a few extra minutes, so run along."

Steven and Connie started to walk back hesitantly, Garnet ushering them away, Pearl looked at Carnelian a little bit longer before joining them. Carnelian braced herself as she began trying to stand, no idea whether her legs would hold her, and slowly rose to her feet. Fortunately, her bluff to the two teens was coming true, and she was feeling more or less normal now. Still, the horror remained. She looked back to where Sphene was … and nothing. A foreboding chill ran through her: that was too odd, too painful, and too close for it to be innocuous. She wanted and knew she had to do something but there was no idea how to even approach this conundrum. She was only troubled as she walked back to sit in the stands.

-XX-

Break time was over, and now it was time to get back to training. Carnelian strode out into the arena again, and Connie and Steven walked out with big smiles to meet her…

"Now then, we're back to training." Carnelian said, her tone back to being professional. "This is your final lesson for today, and as I said, I have a little surprise for you both. Are you ready?"

The two looked giddily at each other, and Connie said, "Actually, after talking it over with Garnet and Pearl, _we_ have a surprise for you too."

Stars in his eyes, Steven said, "Yeah! We were going to wait until later, but then we thought and Garnet too, that this is the perfect time."

"Hmm, you don't say." Carnelian gave them a smile. "Color me intrigued … but let me go first before you show me up."

Carnelian unbuckled her sleeve cuffs, lowered the coat off her shoulders with a small shimmy, took her right arm out, and clutched the collar with her left hand. Keeping hold of it the whole way, she whipped the coat off and out to the side with one motion. The coat melted into light and began morphing into a different shape. The light straightened, stiffened, and sharpened until it solidified into a new weapon. Finally, the light peeled away to reveal … a claymore great sword, its blade bone-white, its hilt and guard black with red wrappings around the handle! Carnelian planted the sword into the ground point-first, the sword coming up to her waist … and thus taller than both teens. Steven and Connie loudly gasped in awe and wonder at the sight.

Smiling and glad her young charges were impressed, Carnelian said, "Now then… What surprise are you two springing on me?"

The two teens smiled knowingly at each other, then started dancing. Carnelian looked at them in confusion, narrowing her eyes and tilting her head. It almost looked like… No, that can't be. Steven and Connie then ended their dance back-to-back with their fingers intertwined … and disappeared into light. A moment later, a single being was left, with brown hair of Connie's length and Steven's curls. Her? Their (?) face was a mixture of both with all three having the same eyebrows. This was an all-around, more mature-looking, taller, cohesive amalgam, a … fusion!

"So…" Stevonnie said with a big smile. "What d'ya think? Cool, right?!"

Carnelian's eyes were wide in shock, her hands listlessly over her mouth, completely still and staring at the young fusion… She then exulted with the closest thing to a shriek of delight her contralto would allow. The ecstatic red quartz rushed over, laughing, scooped up Stevonnie in a big hug with a slow swinging twirl. Stevonnie was very surprised at first, but soon they were laughing giddily too. Carnelian came to a stop while lifting Stevonnie high up by the waist.

She finally put the young fusion down while still overflowing joy. "Oh my Heavens, look at you! Steven and Connie! You! I can't believe they can—Wow, look at you! You're so stable! And complete! And strong! Oh, and you're so beautiful too! This is the BEST thing! This is incredible. **You** are incredible!"

Stevonnie was pleasantly embarrassed by being gushed over, blushed as they rubbed the back of their head, and said. "Well, I don't know about all of that, but I try. I am glad you like me so much already."

"Of course, I like you. I'm just … so happy for Connie and Steven, and so amazed, and so proud of them." Carnelian then laid a hand on Stevonnie's cheek. "And you. I'm so happy you exist. I never even thought you were possible, but you're here and already so flawless… I'm sorry. I'm probably embarrassing you, being so silly."

"Hey, it's okay. And I'm happy to see you too." Stevonnie then started getting excited. "According to Steven and Connie, we're supposed to do some awesome sword-fighting training?!"

"Actually, uh…" Carnelian backed up a little as a thought came to her. "There's something else before that. I wasn't gonna go over this with Steven and Connie because it's something they really avoid at all costs. But because of you and your advantages … I think you can benefit from it: we're gonna work on some hand-to-hand."

"You don't know any of that, do you?" The Steven part of Stevonnie asked, getting nervous. The Connie part of Stevonnie answered, "No, martial arts is one extracurricular I've never taken."

Carnelian explained, "Don't worry. We don't have time to go into a whole fighting style, but I can give you some good defensive options. So, here's what we're gonna do: I'm going to put you into some holds you're going to run into a lot, especially against other quartzes, and you have to get out of them as fast as possible. Okay? Make sure you loosen up and just focus on escaping the hold."

Stevonnie nodded, planted their sword secure into the ground as Carnelian had done, and the young fusion shook a little to get loose. Both then stepped into a more open space. Carnelian offered, "A few tips to keep in mind: when someone has a really strong grip or strong hands like me, power is not an option; you have to find a weak point and exploit it or force them to give you one. Finally, think about how you can escape if you can't force it. If you're at a strength or leverage disadvantage, you'll have to move yourself. Okay? Focus on your escape."

They began. Carnelian snugly wrapped her hands around Stevonnie's neck, secure but with no pressure or danger. Stevonnie started to fight it with the red quartz resisting with her arms but keeping her hands still. Remembering the advice, Stevonnie then stopped as they thought, and figured out a solution; the young fusion grabbed Carnelian's thumbs and used the leverage to pull her grip apart, backing up to escape once they were free.

"Brilliant! That's exactly it." Carnelian praised them, her proud smile becoming a regular sight today. "Now, we'll go rapid-fire with a few more." Carnelian grabbed and wrenched back Stevonnie's wrist and arm while pressing down on their shoulder with the other hand. "Escape…"

There was no struggling in this hold; it was painful even without pressure. Stevonnie thought quickly and remembered another of the hints. The fusion rolled forward to relieve the pressure and regain some leverage, quickly got up and snatched their arm free. Carnelian smirked and nodded in approval of the action. The red quartz then quickly ducked behind Stevonnie, hooked her arms under and around Stevonnie's arm, and locked her hands behind the fusion's head; on this planet, the hold is called a 'full nelson' but no one could tell her who 'nelson' was.

"Escape…"

Stevonnie had even less options in this hold and no real way to maneuver. Fortunately, the solution to this came to them even faster. The fusion stepped a little bit forward to get space then quickly slipped down and out of the hold, sliding away to safety. Carnelian was actually surprised how fast they escaped that one. Finally, the red quartz again ducked behind Stevonnie, wrapped her arm around Stevonnie's neck, and locked her hand into her opposite elbow, snaring the fusion in a rear choke hold.

"Five seconds and you'll pass out. Escape…"

The young fusion knew they were in trouble; they had no way to escape or break the hold and no time to figure something out. Suddenly, an idea came from somewhere deep inside them, and they had to execute it fast. Stevonnie turned into the hold toward Carnelian, wrapped their arms around her waist, and with one mighty heave and motion, lifted the red quartz off her feet and fell backward to slam Carnelian into the ground! Carnelian let go as her teeth clashed together and the back of her head bounced against the arena floor. Carnelian sat up incredibly fast, causing Stevonnie to scoot backward in response.

With a mix of surprise, shock, indignation, elation, and excitement, Carnelian asked, "Did you just suplex me?!"

Their components conversing inside them, Stevonnie wondered aloud, "Was that what that was? Yeah, I've seen guys at the wrestling shows do it. Turns out it works. Huh, lucky us then."

Carnelian stood back up, continuing to applaud them, "My stars… you just never stop impressing me. It's fair to say you all have blown away everything I've thrown at you. All that's left is a little sparring to cap us off."

Stevonnie smiled wide and did a short hop of excitement upon hearing, a reaction that actually made Carnelian chuckle. The red quartz and young fusion then grabbed their swords out of the ground, and took fighting position. For a moment, they faced off … before they charged at each other…

-XXX-

Carnelian recapped, chuckling, "So, you shopped with her, put on fancy clothes, got nice and pretty, then took her for a fun night of dancing … and didn't expect her to ask you again?! I've only been here for a few months, and I can see that coming."

Stevonnie explained, blushing and a little embarrassed, "Looking back at it, yeah, it was kinda obvious but it wasn't at the time. I was just being nice and I thought it would be fun. And we like Kiki, so I wanted to her to have fun too."

As they both walked along the beach toward the gate, Carnelian explained, "Stevonnie, sweetie, you swept her right off her feet. Not only that, and I know I'm a little bias because I'm your 'aunt', but…" Carnelian nudged the fusion to get their attention. "Trust me; you are a knockout."

Stevonnie sighed. "But I don't know how that works. I'm not doing anything different, and I definitely don't feel any different. Mostly, we still just feel like me."

"Hmm, I think I get that. I wouldn't worry about it too much. It happens to everyone if you live long enough but you, Steven, and Connie are still really young. You'll get it soon enough." Carnelian gave them a gentle, reassuring rub on the back and got a bright smile in return. "So… that's the longest you've been fused, a few hours, and you're this in-tune on accident…?"

"Usually, I only come out in an emergency or training, and most times I come apart even when Connie and Steven don't mean to. As for it being an accident, it's just…" Connie started coming out in Stevonnie's voice, "Steven is so funny, and sweet, and thoughtful. He sees the beauty in everything, and he can make things beautiful." Steven then emerged in Stevonnie's voice. "And Connie is smart and cool and strong, and she knows so much about so many things…"

Carnelian nodded in agreement, saying, "All very true, and I agree. It's great they found each other." She then decided to give the fusion a subtle test, something she consulted Garnet on before they left. "By the way, I finished reading those books they love so much, The Unfamiliar Familiar series… What do you think of the ending?"

"I hated it. I loved it. We agree to disagree on it. But we understand why we each feel the way we do."

Carnelian laughed for a brief moment, and said, "Ha, you're more mature than some gems I know. And, hey, good on you for not even flinching, Stevonnie. Usually, that kind of disconnect would cause … well, a disconnect."

"Oh, and there is one thing they agreed on: that movie was terrible. Don't even get us started… But, you said you finished them; what did you think of the ending?"

"Well, just to give some context, all other literature I've read was Homeworld-produced; the Evil Empire always won, and the Evil Empire was us. So, any ending that's not that gets automatic points from me. Anyway, the wedding ending was … unexpected, but I didn't mind it. I even appreciated some of it."

Stevonnie grimaced in seeming discomfort, before words came firing out of them, "But didn't you think it was antithetical to the tone and themes of the series? That it went against everything the books before were building up to?"

Carnelian definitely heard Connie in those questions. She then explained herself, "Or maybe it's that they went through so much, lost so much, and fought so hard that they … 'deserved' to have sun and rainbows? Like, they earned that happy ending? I'm not well-read enough to know for sure… For me, personally, after what I've seen, what I've done, what I've been through… real life is grim enough; I'll take any sugary happy endings in fiction you can give me."

"Hmm, I never considered that. In that case, I hope it made you a little happier."

"You know what? It actually did a little." Carnelian then remembered something Garnet mentioned. "Now, is there something about a video game?"

Stevonnie gasped. "Video game?! What?! When?! Oh, Steven, I forgot to tell you! They're making an Unfamiliar Familiar video game! It's gonna be based on the first two books, so no ending issues. And the original author is writing it, and she's adding expanded universe material and brand-new subplots! No way! What studio is making it? Uh, a team called Obsidian Entertainment. O-M-G! I love all their games!"

Stevonnie was jumping up and down now, squealing in delight and grabbing at their hair. Carnelian stifled a laugh at their joy. However, she was still trying to wrap her head around 'Obsidian Entertainment'; every Obsidian she knew worked in excavation and had a very dry sense of humor. Finally, they made it past the gate, and sat down on a bench down the street…

"I know I keep saying this, but you really are remarkable, Stevonnie. I mean, just talking to you and listening to you, the way Steven and Connie can have a conversation but stay so in-sync that it's still you talking. You probably don't know this, but that is very unique. It's literally unheard of with Homeworld gems."

A thought came to Stevonnie. "Actually, Connie and Steven have an idea about that. Connie figures it's because they're both still figuring themselves out. According to Steven, every gem we know has lived for thousands of years, so it's easier for them to put their foot down. They're basically … set in stone." Stevonnie leaned into that last part and chuckled at the play on words, drawing cracking chuckle from Carnelian too. "But, yes, Steven and Connie are still working things out, so disagreements don't mean as much."

"You know, you can help them with that, and you can do it just by being you." Carnelian said warmly, though Stevonnie looked up at her with uncertainty. "You see, you've only been together for a few hours a couple of times. In fusion time, that's brand-new, totally fresh. Being fused, being so close you make a third person, has even more effects and benefits under the surface. For example, being Tanzanite; there are things I learned about Azurite, and Azurite learned about me that we could've never imagined, and it was the same fusing with Sphene and Thulite. There were things we were afraid to say, things we couldn't wait to tell, and things we didn't know about ourselves. And it came about because our fusions had time outside of the job, to stretch their legs, hang out for a bit, and live a little. I'm sure it'll work for you too."

Stevonnie was still a bit unsure. "I… I don't know… I've never even thought to try… I don't know where to start."

Carnelian said comfortingly, "Okay, that's okay, focus on this moment; start with the basics. How do you, Stevonnie, feel?"

Stevonnie took a moment to get a gauge on themselves and tried to talk through it, "I feel warm… comfortable… happy and excited… But also kinda nervous and… and… No, it's okay; it's no big deal."

Carnelian placed a comforting, stabilizing hand on the fusion's shoulder. "Yes, it is. It's okay; I'm here. How are you feeling?"

Stevonnie took a deep breath and revealed just as much to themselves as Carnelian, "I feel … kind of lonely. Steven, he… With all the new gem activity and his new responsibilities, he feels like he's on his own sometimes. And Connie, she's so comfortable and at ease with Steven, but between the distance and her own obligations, she gets lonely too, sometimes right after she leaves here. That's one reason they love being me … and one reason I love listening to them. But it's one of the things they have in common; of course, I feel it too. I … don't really have someone to share their happiness with…"

"Hey… Hey…" Carnelian tenderly said, gently turning their head toward her with a hand on their cheek, "We can't have that; I can't let that happen. Steven and Connie probably know this, and I'll say it to you too: if you ever feel like that, you call on me. No matter where you are, where I am, or what we're doing, let me know, and I'll be there. And even when you're not feeling lonesome, I'll be by your side… I promise, I will always be here for you, wherever, whenever, whatever you need… Not only that, I want to hang out with you any chance I get; I don't want to miss anything you do, Steven, Connie, or you. Okay?"

Stevonnie absorbed everything the red quartz offered, and hugged Carnelian tight around the waist. Carnelian wrapped her arms around the fusion's shoulders in a returning embrace.

"Also, first chance you get, tell the rest of the Crystal Gems; they'll want to know how you feel and help you too…" The two separated with smiles. Carnelian then continued, "Tell you what: next time you get together, whenever Steven and Connie manage, you and me will hang out and do something you want to do, whatever it is."

Ideas started flooding into Stevonnie's mind. "Really? Oh, they're building a new skate park across town; Steven and me want to do that. Connie wants to see the aquarium, and so do I. There's so many things…"

"I can't wait." Carnelian said, the vague sound of a car interrupting, "Oh, Dr. Maheswaran's coming."

"Right. Thanks, Scarlet Tanzanite. See you next time."

With that, Stevonnie disappeared, and Steven and Connie were left sitting on the bench holding hands. Dr. Priyanka came driving around the corner, and they all stood as she came to a stop. Connie grabbed up her bag, hugged Steven, and started to go … but came back and hugged Carnelian too. Steven and Carnelian then waved as Connie sprinted off, joined her mom, and they both drove off…

End Chapter

 _ **A/N:**_ **And there we have it. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. This ran a little long, but I think it came off well. I'll try to be back sooner, but I'll have to see how life turns out. Still, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Again, I'm sorry for taking so long, but thank you for waiting and coming back. Thank you again for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you come back to read the next one. And, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.**


	8. Pearl

_**A/N:**_ **Hello, fellow writers and readers. Happy New Year! May you have a great 2018! Thank you for stopping by and I hope you like it. First, I think I need to clarify my process, if just to give some explanation. In addition to my life struggles, I'm also dealing with a new job and a home move, so the difficulty with posting is largely just finding the time to actually sit down and type. In addition, because I'm odd, I like to handwrite my chapters before I type, for polish and proofreading; sadly, I write a lot faster than I type. In any case, if I take a while, I'm just having trouble finding the time.**

 **Now, this is a very important chapter with a lot of revelations and surprises. As such, it's also a little long. So, thank you again for stopping by, and I hope this keeps you hooked the whole way. Let's get to it. And here … we … go:**

Steven Universe: Crystallize Red

Pearl

All this time, Pearl was at a loss. It had been months, and she still had no idea how to approach Carnelian. She was cordial of course, always ready to explain or relay, but there had been no honest conversation between them this whole time. Pearl had thought of waiting for the red quartz or going to her, but she was just stuck in the same predicament. It was the same as with S, only amplified by the two gems sharing the same space. Pearl couldn't even force herself to speak to her, even now with Carnelian just a few feet away.

She, Garnet, Steven, and Carnelian were in the Burning Room; Carnelian wanted to know all about the Corruption and see the corrupted gems. Scarlet looked up and all around in silent horror as the Crystal Gems relayed the details to her. Pearl couldn't help but take notice of the quartz's empathy and willingness to learn and accept, only adding to Pearl's skittishness.

Looking in disturbed awe at the hundreds of bubbled gems, Tanzanite wondered aloud, "And… you've been keeping them this whole time?"

Garnet answered, "Ever since the war ended, yes. Some have been in here a very long time."

Seeing the red quartz shaking her head taken aback, Pearl added, "We tried everything we could think of, but nothing we did worked. Not even Rose could heal them."

Steven tried to sound optimistic, saying, "We got pretty close with one we call Centipeetle. She got pretty far too; we even managed to communicate with her … but she just went back to being corrupted. Still, it's a start; I know we'll find a way to help them eventually."

Carnelian looked down at the young gem, and put on a smile as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "I certainly hope so, Steven. And if anyone can do it, I know it will be you."

This was one of the reasons for Pearl's anxiety: she could see Carnelian's kinship with the other quartzes she knew. The mad look in her eyes and that roar the other day in the arena; those piercing golden eyes and her sometimes terrifying sharp-toothed grin; the ferocity and ruthlessness when she first fought the Corrupted… those qualities definitely gave Pearl nightmarish flashbacks of Jasper.

Still, most of the time… Pearl couldn't help but see some of Rose. There were key differences of course: Carnelian's presence was bolder, bracing, smoldering, more cutting and sharp, the spice to Rose's sugar, the black long coat, appropriately, to Rose's white ball gown. However, they were similar in many lovely ways: her open-mindedness, her open-heartedness, her supportiveness and protectiveness, her quickness to affection and compassion, and willingness to learn, understand, and adapt…

Then, there was Carnelian's connection to the others. Her camaraderie and friendship with Amethyst, her rapport with Peridot and Lapis, her easy teamwork with Garnet, and most importantly of all, her love and affection with Connie and Steven and vice versa. Add into all of the above Pearl's own preference for big, strong, gallant, and … ravishing gems, and it wasn't hard to decipher the causes for her difficulty. Even now, Pearl could only stare at the red quartz. Carnelian was holding the Heaven and Earth beetles' bubbled cage, observing them with consideration, delicately holding them in her hands and gently turning it around to look at them.

She finally shook her head in dismay and handed them back to Steven to put away. Carnelian finally met Pearl's gaze and gave her a slight smile. Pearl smiled back … but had to turn away after a moment.

-XX-

Pearl had been going about her day when Carnelian approached her.

' _Pearl, I hope you're not too busy.'_

' _Not this moment. Can I help you?'_

' _I think so. I have a favor to ask of you: I'm working on a project and need your expertise, if you can of course.'_

' _I think I can make time for you.'_

' _Great. Could you please meet me in the arena, whenever you're ready…?'_

Now, Pearl was headed there and found herself inexplicably nervous about what Carnelian wanted … what she would be asked to do … if she could even say no… As she said, Carnelian was standing there waiting when Pearl arrived, and Pearl actually got a little more nervous when the red quartz looked over at her. She tamped the feeling down as inconspicuously as she could as she approached…

"Hello, Carnelian." Pearl's voice came out much more sudden and high-pitched than she wanted. She coughed to steady herself before continuing. "I mean, what did you need my help with?"

Carnelian explained, "Well, I understand you're an expert with a sword, that you taught Connie all about it. I haven't had to use my sword in a while, but trading slashes with Stevonnie the other day really has me itching to get back to it. So, I was hoping you wouldn't mind sparring with me for a while."

" _Thank goodness, it's something simple._ " Pearl mentally sighed before responding aloud, "Of course, I wouldn't mind. It'd be my pleasure, in fact."

Carnelian nodded with a smile and got prepared, as Pearl watched on. The red quartz smoothly uncovered her shoulders and slipped her coat with a slight shimmy, Pearl swallowing hard as she took notice again that Carnelian's top is backless. Carnelian snapped her coat outward and transformed it into her claymore. Pearl shook her head back to attention, and materialized her twin sabers in kind. The two gems gave formal bows to each other, and then started clashing swords.

Pearl used her smaller size and agility to test her sparring partner with faster slashes from multiple angles. Carnelian, in response and understandably so, was disciplined and uncannily nimble as well; she defended herself, then used some of her dexterity and fleet-footedness to create an opening followed by a burst of immense strength to attack, an attack Pearl often narrowly escaped. Soon, the two got into a rhythm of striking, dodging, parrying, and spinning to, away, and around each other, one that was less sparring and more … dancing. Soon, they came to a momentary standoff, still in fighting stance but both smiling.

Pearl complimented first, "I must say, your power and experience is obvious, but your skill, your technique, your footwork… They're quite extraordinary."

Carnelian had the same sentiments. "You're rather magnificent yourself. The children's stories don't do you justice; I know I made the right decision… Say, would you mind if I tried something new, show off a little?"

Pearl, intrigued, smirked and responded, "You don't even have to ask. Show me."

With that, Carnelian took a deep breath and began concentrating, her sword beginning to glow. Pearl watched intently but a little lost as to what was happening. It was only just in time that she noticed the tip of Carnelian's sword detaching… The sword detached and rocketed toward Pearl, who dodged at the last possible moments. Carnelian snapped the whole thing to the side toward the still mid-dodge Pearl, causing the lithe gem to contort herself to flip over the secondary attack. Afterward, the light faded from the weapon to reveal Carnelian had detached and extended her sword into a barbed chain-whip! She retracted it back to herself as Pearl landed and recovered from the surprise…

The red quartz asked with a hint of uncertainty, "So, what do you think? It's not too much, is it?"

"Not at all. Turning a close-range weapon into a long-range option; it's quite brilliant really."

"Really? I was afraid it would be a little fantastical. Full disclosure… I actually got the idea from one of Steven's video games."

A small drop in prestige and romanticism notwithstanding, Pearl was still fascinated. "Still, it's very impressive and creative too."

"Thank you so much for thinking so. Now then…" Carnelian bowed again to Pearl. "Shall we continue this dance?"

Pearl returned the bow. "Most certainly."

The sparring resumed, but as an inverse of the earlier exchanges. Now, Pearl was the one on defense, needing to duck, spin, flip, leap, and dance out of the way of the red quartz's offense. Carnelian meanwhile utilized incredible weapon control and attacked by snapping, twisting, and rapidly retracting then firing her whip side-to-side, up and down, and all over. She was attacking from all angles while keeping Pearl at a distance. The smaller, lithe gem was completely in her element with constant movement and avoided with practiced expertise.

Pearl was doing well to stay unassailed but she knew she was not getting anywhere; she had to take her best option. While avoiding another attack, Pearl formed her staff, made one more drastic dodge to give herself some room, and fired several energy bolts at her sparring partner. Completely surprised, Carnelian actually froze in place for a half-second before having to jump clear…

As soon as they both landed, Carnelian exclaimed excitedly, "Are you serious?! You can fire energy too?! My stars, you need to slow down; you can't be this good."

Pearl blushed from the praise yet smiled with satisfaction. "Oh, well, you know you have to have some surprises to spring at the right moment."

"How true. And a great surprise on your part." Carnelian then retracted whip all the way and reformed her sword. "Well, if we pulling tricks out of our sleeves, I have to, at least, match you."

Carnelian again took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she concentrated, holding her free hand over her sword's blade. After a moment, she snapped her fingers. FOOM! Her blade was engulfed in fiery red energy! It was very similar to Amethyst's but much more refined, fearsome yet controlled. Carnelian then winded up and made a strong upward swing, sending an arcing wave of energy at Pearl! Pearl dodged then watched the wave travel beyond the arena boundary and explode in small sparks. She then looked back at Carnelian, the red quartz standing tall and strong, a pleased grin on her lips … and Pearl felt part of her skip a beat, partially from fear but also from … exhilaration.

-XX-

"Thank you so much, Pearl. I enjoyed every moment of that."

Carnelian sat reclined on the arena steps, managing to somehow look comfortable despite different, uneven levels. The red quartz hadn't put her coat back on again, and Pearl was trying not to stare at her physique. Nevertheless, she walked over and sat down not too close but not too far away, her posture formal and completely upright.

Pearl centered herself before responding, "You're very welcome, Carnelian. But … did you really call me here just to spar?"

Carnelian was silent for a moment as she looked Pearl in the eye … then admitted, "Not, not just that anyway. I did want to do this, but there is an important reason I asked you here…" Carnelian paused then her tone turned thoughtful, "Pearl, I owe you an apology. I've been focusing on everyone, and I realized I haven't made nearly enough effort to get to know you or at least be more accommodating or respectful awareness. So, I'm sorry for that… I also apologize if I'm being presumptive right now."

"No, it's okay. If you have any fault, then I have just as much. If I'm being honest, I've … sort of been avoiding you. It's just, you make me … uncomfortable."

Carnelian turned rueful and her look softened, saying, "Oh, no; is it something I did or said? I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner…"

"No, no, it's nothing you did. It's just…" Pearl stopped, sighing in frustration at her own words. Finally, she admitted, "It's just… Rose Quartz, Steven's mother, she's the love of my life. And you make me think about her a lot… You two are apparently the same grade of quartz, and I believe it; in some ways, you both are so much alike. I'm just starting to be okay with her gone, but sometimes with you, I can almost feel her."

Carnelian nodded in understanding and said, "I totally understand… Honestly, sometimes I can't even look at Peridot and Lapis, especially Lapis. They reminded me so much of Sphene and Azurite that sometimes, for a split second, I swear they are them." Carnelian chuckled. "I'd probably go insane if you had an Obsidian or a Bismuth around to remind me of Thulite."

Pearl coughed at the unintended appropriateness of the last part before continuing, "Still, I apologize for not being forthright… By the way, what I said earlier about you and Rose, that's not the only reason I'm fascinated by you. I think you're wonderful in many of your own ways."

Carnelian smiled. "Thank you. And I should've said this earlier, but you're exceptional too. I'm constantly impressed by all the things you can do and how well you keep everything together."

Pearl let a fleeting giggle slip then added, "Well, I try… Also, and this probably goes without saying, but … you're positively gorgeous."

Carnelian looked at Pearl somewhat confused, Pearl quickly grew cold; she took a chance and went too far… Fortunately, Carnelian chuckled. "Why, thank you, Pearl. You're quite lovely too; as a Pearl, that's a given, but you stand out in the best way."

Pearl felt her whole face flushed and giggled, barely suppressing a laugh. Both of them grew silent as they just enjoyed the moment of being in good company and in good standing. However, the comfortable silence didn't last long.

"Pearl…" Carnelian sat up, looking forward away from Pearl. "Is it safe to assume … you fused with Rose Quartz often?"

"Every chance I could get, yes."

"If you don't mind me asking… Who was she? The gem you made together?"

Pearl let out a dreamy sigh and answered wistfully, "Rainbow Quartz. She is… was… is pure joy embodied and incarnate. She is incredibly powerful, yet she remains gracious and graceful at all times. She could make anything beautiful… You would like her."

"I'm sure I would have. I'm sorry she's… I'm glad you still hold her close."

"I miss her all the time." Pearl stopped to wipe the beginnings of tears from her eyes. "But all hope is isn't lost. If Steven and I ever manage to fuse, she could, in a way, come back. It would definitely be a different form and probably a different configuration, but … she would still be beautiful, and even if it's just partially, Rainbow Quartz could be again."

Carnelian looked back to Pearl with a hurt smile, somberly saying, "I hope it happens for you and Steven. In fact, because it's you and Steven, I know it will happen, and I want to be there to see it."

Carnelian looked away again. Pearl knew what was troubling her, and put an empathetic hand on her shoulder. "Carnelian, I'm so sorry about your Tanzanite. I know how you feel, and if there's anything I can do, please don't hesitate to ask me."

Carnelian put her hand over Pearl's and revealed solemnly, "Thank you for that. You know, it's not just Tanzanite either; she has a special place in my heart, but she's not the only one. My team and I… We fused in every combination possible, and we gave them all time to live a little. There were seven fusions I was a part of; I've been thinking about all of them a lot lately, really terribly missing them." Carnelian chuckled ruefully. "I realized a while ago this is the longest I've gone without fusing in a few millennia."

Suddenly, an idea and offer rocketed to the forefront of Pearl's mind, something wicked and wonderful, lavish, audacious, and all too tempting. Suddenly, it was the only thing she wanted to do in that moment. Ultimately, she didn't feel nearly bold enough to attempt it, and yet the idea danced and tingled in her voice. She stayed silent to stay safe…

Carnelian sighed as she turned to Pearl, taking her hand off of Pearl's. "Anyway, that's all I have for now. I have to meet Peridot and Lapis later, so I should get ready for that… Pearl, thank you for everything. This was great; we'll have to hang out more when we can."

Pearl said as Carnelian stood, "Definitely. I will see you soon."

The red quartz gave her a smile and started off. Pearl watched Carnelian as she recalled and reformed her coat around herself and began to leave… A deep breath and an allured shudder rolled through Pearl as Carnelian disappeared down the steps.

-XXX—

 _ **A First Union**_

Peridot, Lapis, and Carnelian were in the ruins and chatting over the broken injector. Garnet had suggested Carnelian go with them for 'security', which the quartz happily obliged. Lapis went along to keep Peridot company, and this time with five gallons of water helpfully provided by Carnelian. Peridot was trying to dissect and disassemble the injector for any helpful tech or at least scrap, but she couldn't help getting sidetracked by the discussion between the three of them. Lapis and Peridot had questions for Carnelian and vice versa, so the three of them traded questions and answers back and forth. Peridot eventually diverted away for her desire for information and asked for a story.

Carnelian was telling of one occurrence. "So, we found out the rival species had this 'legend' or superstition about some mythical beast that would 'herald the end of this age and the start of the new age'. So, Sphene and Thulite figured out an approximate shape for this thing and constructed a makeshift structure to resemble it. Azurite and I go to meet their higher-ups to negotiate and when it, of course, goes nowhere, Azurite shook the whole building while I tried to convince them their legend was coming true. At the same time, Thulite and Sphene piloted the mockup, so when they looked outside, they saw it."

Peridot was incredulous. "Are you serious? That's highly improbable, even for a superstitious people. Did that really work?"

"Of course, it didn't work. They ran towards it when they saw it, but when they actually got a good look, they could tell it was fake. Luckily, we managed to come to an agreement, and convinced them to leave."

Lapis asked, raising an unconvinced eyebrow, "Really? After all that, they still wanted to talk?"

"Yep. You see, our real plan, all that quaking Azurite was doing? What she had actually done was rip their entire home base out of the rock face and hold it over the chasm underneath. Once they saw we could easily crush them, they backed down quite quickly. We didn't have any more run-ins, and eventually they left on their own."

While Peridot snickered, Lapis chuckled with amusement before saying, "Okay, my turn… How did you manage to get use to this planet so fast? I mean, everything here is so weird, but you seem to fit right in. How on Earth, pun intended, did you do that?"

Carnelian exhaled dramatically and answered, "Oh, Lazuli, I don't know. I guess… It's just there are a lot of good things here. Yeah, they're totally weird, and I've never seen a lot of this anywhere else, but… I really like most of it. Case in point…" Carnelian tapped the gallons of water. "The liquids here. Everywhere else I've been, there's been either none or it was caustic or rancid or disgusting. But here… the water is great and beautiful. It's easy to get use to a nice place, especially if you like the company."

Carnelian turned to them with a soft grin. Lapis nodded, satisfied, while Peridot dived back into working on the machine. The quartz then continued, "Okay, my question… Fusion? Peridot, I don't think you have; are you … or would you be interested in it? And Lapis, I know you had a pretty bad one; do you ever think you'd want to again?"

Both immediately froze and looked at Carnelian with anxiety, trepidation over smothered curiosity, and various other discomforts. Lapis cautiously asked, with Peridot in mind as well, "Are… are you asking us to…?"

"Hmm…?" Carnelian looked over at them and saw the discomfort on their faces. "Oh, no, that's not why I'm asking at all. I'm just trying to gauge how everyone feels. You don't have to answer, if it's too much."

The two looked at each other, and Peridot gave a gesture of uncertainty. Thus, Lapis breathed deep and forged ahead, "No, it's fine. For me … My fusion was for bad reasons, and did some terrible things. But the fusion herself wasn't bad. _She actually felt very good_." Lapis only thought that last sentence, something she would NOT say aloud. "I had do some awful things to her to keep that fusion going. That's what scares me the most; the next time will be with someone I trust and care about, but if it happens again, if I lose myself again and… I just want to be sure before I try again, and I don't know when that'll be."

Carnelian responded with a nod, "I get that, and that's very smart of you… For what it's worth, I think you'll do fine, but what's right for you is always up to you."

Peridot then spoke up, "Honestly… I'm just too scared to try it now." She explained as she went back to work, Lapis and Carnelian looking to her. "In addition to having to overcome my conditioned aversion to it, the whole process gives me pause. It's unquantifiable and unpredictable; it's physical and emotional, and that's a large part of its appeal! It's true I'm getting more well-acclimated with Earth and its culture much quicker than thought possible… but it seems fusion is a step too far too fast, at least at this present time."

"Hmm…" Carnelian inquired, "Are you at all curious, at least?"

"Incredibly so!" The words rocketed out Peridot, "But, like Lapis, if I were to reach a high level of confidence and faith in another gem, I would frankly be eager to try fusing."

"Okay, good. That's all I wanted to know. And, thanks for humoring me." Carnelian offered, which Peridot and Lapis waved off literally and figuratively. The red quartz then continued, "Alright, I know I'm breaking the rules here, but we're already in the awkward-slash-difficult question mood, so… I have another question… The corruption; any idea what it is? What we're supposed to do about it? What _can_ we even do about it?"

Lapis immediately answered, "I don't know anything about that one. Peridot?"

Peridot then expounded, "Ah, the corruption, a terrifying dilemma. I don't have any historical reference for it, and, based on the accounts of it, it's not hard to decipher why Homeworld wouldn't want that kind of attack to be common knowledge. It's also very troubling that you've had repeated contact with some of the affected yet had no idea of their origin."

Lapis added in, "Yeah, Scarlet, what happened to the ones you and your team fought?"

"Yeah, I've been trying _very_ hard not to think too hard about that." Carnelian admitted, sounding a little shaken, "We just burst them, put them in prism, and turned them in. We never had a reason to ask where they came from or where they went."

Peridot continued, "All evidence suggests that situation is very bad. I mean, this machine emits a signal that attracts them, and you make a similar one that at least gets their attention. In addition, it's very difficult to observe and study the corruption's characteristics and effects, considering the subjects and the … process. I mean, seeing what it did to Jasper…" Peridot stopped as a shudder rolled through her. "Overcoming that last obstacle is paramount to any success we might have."

Lapis then remembered something and suggested, "Wait, Peridot, didn't you say something about that machine analyzing a gem's makeup?"

Carnelian looked at Peridot in surprise. "What? What do you mean?"

Peridot perked up as she too remembered, and then explained, "Oh, yeah, the diagnostic upgrade. I saw it in Sphene's schematics; it looked like she'd already done the calculations. It was fairly easy to decipher, well, for me at least… The simplest description is it's an upgrade to the machine that allows it to run full diagnostics on a gem, including showing a gem's makeup in real time. I had planned to apply the upgrade, but then this injector here put a hold on that."

Carnelian was speechless with incredulity for a moment then exclaimed, overjoyed, "Peridot, that's incredible! We've got to tell Steven. If you can get that upgrade working, and we can actually _see_ this monster… He might be able to find a way to fix it."

Sharing the joy for Steven's sake, Lapis added, "He's gonna love that so much! We have to do it."

Even though she was smiling ear-to-ear too, Peridot tried to tamp her excitement down. "Yes, yes, it's all very encouraging, but one project at a time. This machine isn't going to brick itself. Additionally, I'll need some parts from this machine to actually make the upgrade. So, let's put a momentary freeze on this."

"Good idea…" Lapis said as Carnelian nodded in agreement.

Carnelian looked away with a smile as she mentally thanked her fallen teammate. After that, she got them back on track as they needed to preoccupy themselves before getting carried away again. "Alright, moving on. More questions; let me have them."

Lapis obliged, "Azurite… We're both in the same class, right? What could she do? How crazy could she get?"

Carnelian explained, "Well, it's hard to compare you two. I mean, you pulled every ocean off this planet to get to space, right? The equivalent for Azurite would be literally cracking a planet open, and we never needed to go that far. I'll say this: you are scary powerful, and you're also raw and natural; you wanna hit something with water, you make a hand. You want to fly with water, you make wings. Azurite liked to expand and stretch what she could do. For instance, she discovered that she could extend her control pass simply ground and into flora too. She eventually got to the point that where she could almost control plants just as well as the ground. So, if wanted or tried, you could probably do similar things with water or probably any liquid."

As Lapis pondered, Peridot asked excitedly, "Okay, okay, my turn… You said Yellow Diamond has 5 other quartzes of the same caliber as you, Rose Quartz, and Jasper. I am very curious if I've heard of them or maybe even encountered them without knowing. Who are they?"

Carnelian grew a small grin and relayed, "Well, I already told you about Yellow Diamond's Amethyst. She's a lot like our Amethyst, but thoroughly indoctrinated and all that entails. You know better than me how Yellow Diamond loves order and regimen. She holds a tight leash, and Amethyst has to choke herself with it; as tragic and horrible as it sounds… Along with her is Black Agate. She's like most Agates: prim and proper, domineering, and exact. She actually refuses to call us her 'sisters' … but the reason why for that is one reason we love her. You see… Black Agate is head-over-heels in love with Eisenkiesel, one of my fellow White Diamond quartzes, and EK ("ee-kay") loves her to little shards right back.

Just seeing stuck up Agate just melt into love-struck blushing and giggling, it kinda … gives you hope, I guess. There is one caveat though: Black Agate and Eisenkiesel share a room. So, when we're in our quarters, and we hear Agate start 'singing', we know they're in for the night, and NOT to go ANYWHERE near their room until the next day."

Lapis and Peridot were slightly confused by that last statement. Carnelian however realized how awkward any elaboration would be, and decided to move on…

"Anyway. There's Amethyst, Black Agate, and then there's—"

BRRR! A low rumble and trembling underfoot stopped them all dead. The rumbling and shifting crept up until it was consistent and close. Carnelian sprang to her feet as her training kicked in…

Carnelian stepped forward, and instructed automatically, "Peridot, take cover. Lapis, get ready to defend her if something or someone gets past me."

Fortunately, she looked over to see the latter instruction was perfunctory; Lapis was already enveloping Peridot and herself in a swirling and churning dome of water. Carnelian turned back and focused her senses on this new disturbance, giving it her full attention. She began rapidly analyzing the situation and picking up on the patterns of whatever this was.

"1… 2… 3…" The red quartz counted out them out as she pinpointed them, meanwhile sliding off her coat and transforming it into her claymore, "4… 5… 6."

Suddenly, there was a bright distant flash … luckily from the Warp Pad. Steven, Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst came rushing over and gathering around Carnelian.

Relaxed but not relieved, Carnelian said, "You're right on time. There was no way I could've called you for help."

Pearl quickly said, "Sorry, it took a while to get everyone, but we're here."

Seeing Carnelian's claymore for the first time, Amethyst quickly exclaimed, "Whoa, cool sword, Red!"

Carnelian announced in response, "You're about to see me use it because here they come!"

The first corrupted gem that appeared was light brown with a flat circular body and two black beady eyes on top, resembling a stingray, its gemstone on its back. The ray burst up through the sand and several large icicles at the Crystal Gems, and thinking quickly, Pearl deflected and slashed them away. In one motion, the Ray fell back down, burrowed, and disappeared back down into the sand.

As Carnelian predicted, six savage serpents had arrived. In addition to the Ray, five more corrupted gems showed themselves in short order: the next was a pinkish-orange gem who only seemed to stick out her head, which mostly consisted of a gaping mouth full of rows of pointed razor sharp teeth. Also inside that maw was her gemstone, and out of it she fired laser beams. Another was silver with a tall cylindrical pillar-like body with her gemstone on her 'base'. She had several arms covered in barbed spikes, and she would stick straight up with her arms outstretched, spinning and twirling in all directions.

Then, there were twin corrupted gems, two snake-like gems that worked concert with each other. One was light purple with her gem on her underside and two 'mandibles' on her front that constantly surged electricity between them, building up and firing lightning bolts at the Crystal Gems. The other was black with her gem on her side and three long horns on her 'head'; she would use her horns by leaping out of the sand while spinning, turning herself into a drilling torpedo.

The largest, most fearsome, and most aggressive of them was the pale orange 'scorpion', staying above ground mostly to chase and fight the Crystal Gems directly. She was an almost exact representation of the arachnid; six scuttling legs, two large snapping pincers, a large plated body, and a wildly-stabbing, long curved tail with a hooked barb on the end and her gem on the base…

The Ray continued attacking Pearl by shooting icicles while Pearl struggled to get close enough, the corrupted gem hurling herself backward into the sand as she went. The Pillar took particular interest in Lapis and Peridot with Lapis having to deflect her away with her water shield, but the Pillar simply bounced back and spun toward them again. Garnet was trying to stop the Maw, but the corrupted gem showed no interest in the fusion, preferring to fire at the Crystal Gems in other fights. Garnet had to quickly jump in the path of the lasers to protect the others, but this also allowed the Maw escape back into the ground with Garnet no closer to catching her.

Meanwhile, Steven and Amethyst had to deal with the twin snakes. Amethyst had to rapidly spin dash in place to deflect the Drill snake and tried repeatedly to lasso her, but the Drill would either twist out of it or attempt to drag Amethyst into the ground, causing the purple quartz to let go. Steven was busy defending himself against the electric snake. At first, he was bubbling himself but soon realized it was causing the lightning to fly widely off in every direction, and so switched to his shield, the smaller weapon requiring more precision and quickness. The scorpion, clashing with Carnelian from the start, was as fierce and powerful as she looked but also devilishly fast on her feet and with her pincers and her tail. Carnelian had to match her intensity while also having to attack and defend against the tri-fold assault.

Eventually, however, the Crystal Gems broke through to success. Steven and Amethyst made headway by switching targets. Combining her energy-infused whips with her spin dash, Amethyst blast through the Electric snake's barrage, slamming into her, and grinding her into the ground. Steven got the upper hand by pulling off a tricky maneuver; he waited for Drill snake to lunge at him and, when the moment came, bubbled himself … and manage to trap the Drill snake half in and half out of the bubble! The bubble halted her momentum and held her in place so Steven could attack with his shield.

Garnet was getting frustrated when it came to her that she was approaching from the wrong direction; When the Maw resurfaced next, the fusion sprinted straight behind her, buried her hands in the ground, and stretched her arms to start feeling around. Got it! Just as the Maw was readying another shot, Garnet grabbed her by the tail and yanked her backward through the ground. The fusion pulled the corrupted gem all the way out of the ground again … and within striking distance; she held the Maw by the neck with one hand and leveled punches into the corrupted gem's jaw. Pearl continued to struggle with the Ray until she realized her only option … was up. She used a literal change in approach by leaping and vaulting over and all around, and due to her low and flat body structure, the Ray couldn't keep track of Pearl's acrobatics. Soon, Pearl found an advantageous angle, dodged some poorly aimed icicles, and stabbed straight down into the corrupted gem.

Lapis had tried to simply grab the Pillar with her hands of water, but the corrupted gem's barbs and fast spinning simply shredded them and sent the water ripping away in all directions. Lapis then tried soaking the corrupted gem and using it to forcibly bring her to a stop. The Pillar simply burrowed underground to dry herself and force Lapis to draw the water back to herself. Then, Lapis finally figured out a plan. The Pillar shot up out of the ground as she would and spun toward Lapis and Peridot again. Lapis quickly soaked the ground in the corrupted gem's path, and when the Pillar came into it … used it bring the Pillar to a complete stop. Using the soaked ground to seize the corrupted gem, Lapis kept the Pillar not only from spinning forward and backward but also from burrowing down as well. Lapis continued to keep the corrupted gem in place while she got Peridot to the relative safety of one of the nearby downed machine rings.

The scorpion managed to grab Carnelian's sword with both claws … exactly as the red quartz wanted. Carnelian twisted around to the corrupted gem's side while catching her striking stinger. She now had all three of the Scorpion's weapons occupied and, using her free limbs, Carnelian rained down heavy punishing stomps on the corrupted gem's back, the Scorpion unable to defend herself.

The corrupted gems had to escape and quickly. The Ray frantically burrowed straight down. The Maw fired a much weaker shot, one with no charge and thus almost no threatening power, at Garnet's face, and when the fusion had to let go to block, swiftly burrowed to safety. The Pillar had to actually hurl herself completely out of the ground and roll lengthwise to some dry ground to retreat. The scorpion thrashed out of Carnelian's grip with violent urgency and had to awkwardly burrow backward into the ground to get away. The Drill snake spun herself backward out of the bubble and headed right for Amethyst, but when she got within range, actually speared herself into the Electric snake and carried them both into the ground.

The Crystal Gems quickly gathered around each other, unsure of what to expect next…

"Is everyone okay?" Garnet called out.

"Great, we got 'em on the run!" Amethyst exclaimed.

"Stay alert. We have them on their last bit of stamina but this is not over." Pearl cautioned.

Carnelian added, "Agreed, and I suggest we finish this now… I'm getting a really bad feeling all of a sudden."

All six corrupted gems reemerged close to each other off to the side a ways away. The Crystal Gems hurried over to them but stopped when the corrupted ones starting very odd: moving and shaking erratically, fidgeting and bumping into each other, and drifting in and out of rough formations. More than anything, they seemed to be trying to do something but didn't know how…

Then, it happened. The corrupted gems all looked at each other and slowly started mimicking each other. They soon settled on roughly the same swaying, undulating motion, and continued adjusting to each other until they had the same rhythm and tempo. The Crystal Gems watched the odd occurrence almost mesmerized and completely lost as to what this could be or its result. The corrupted gems then saw and focused on the Crystal Gems, all while maintaining their disquieting … 'dance'. Finally, they gathered close to one another … and disappear into a massive ball of light! All the Crystal Gems' eyes grew wide as they all gasp.

Steven voiced for all of them, his voice low with horrified shock, "Are those gems fusing?!"

Their forms morphed and amalgamated into one glowing whole and expanded with a cacophonous chorus of shrieks, screams, and howls. The light finally peeled away to reveal a gargantuan monstrosity of a fusion: a Hydra-like being with 6 long-necked heads, each head corresponding to one of the gems inside, all of them connected to one twisted gnarl of a body. They were all fused, but the Hydra had no cohesion or unity in her movement, functions, or structure. She was all over the place figuratively and literally. The colors of her components laid next to and all over each other and shone sickly bright and disorientingly garish, a kaleidoscopic horror, a stained glass nightmare. Finally, all of the Hydra's heads stopped writhing and churning and refocused on the Crystal Gems…

Carnelian, this time, spoke for all of them, under her breath and in dread, "Ho-Ly Zales…"

The Hydra proved just as terrifying as perceived, relentless, overwhelming, and armed with many attacks. The Pillar head, now whipping around like a spiked flail, and the Drill head combined efforts for an all-out attack. The Maw head, the Electric head, and the Ray head worked in concert for long range, cover fire, and suppressing fire. The Scorpion head, the biggest of them all, with two additional clawed appendages along its neck and a hooked stinger for a tongue went slithering, snapping, stabbing, and chasing after them individually.

The Crystal Gems were in trouble. Not only could they not combat the onslaught, they could barely move fast enough to stay ahead of such sustained offense. A fusion of their own was their only hope, but Hydra seemed to know that as well. The corrupted fusion kept the Crystal Gems isolated and fiercely targeted and attacked when they got even remotely close to one another. Between the lasers, ice, electricity, thrashing, and rampaging, it was hard for the Crystal Gems to even see each other or even keep track their own locations.

Soon, Pearl dodged a strike from the Pillar head … only to end up in the path of the Maw's laser. With no time to dodge again, Pearl braced herself for impact, but the next moment, she felt herself yanked then carried out of the way. She was lost in a blur of activity until she came to a stop. Quickly, she got her bearings to find herself behind one of the now-fallen beams … with Carnelian looming protectively next to her.

"Pearl, are you okay?" Carnelian asked in concern.

"I am, thanks to you." Pearl replied after a moment to get her words together, "You really saved me back there."

"Of course, anytime." A nearby explosion brought both of them back to the immense danger all around. Carnelian expressed, "This is bad. She's way to strong. We can barely protect ourselves, and getting close is out of the question. We've gotta come up with something fast!"

Even under this duress, part of Pearl leapt when the idea came to her. She looked into the red quartz's eyes, saying, "There is one thing we can do to give us a fighting chance…"

"You're right." Carnelian looked around quickly, trying to find a path. "I'll cover you; we need to get you to one of the others."

Pearl grabbed Carnelian's hand in both of hers. "I am near someone – you. There's no time, and if we go out there, we'll just get separated again. This is our best chance, you and me." Pearl started to smile, but then Carnelian looked back at her, stunned and caught off-guard. The red quartz's unease and uncertainty was clear from her furrowed brow and slightly clenched teeth. Pearl tried to comfort and reassure her, "I'm sorry; it will just be this once, and then you'll never have to again."

Carnelian was suddenly gripped in a storm of different uncomfortable emotions and thoughts. Ultimately, Carnelian closed her eyes, took a couple deep breaths … took Pearl's hand in one hand and gently placed her other arm around Pearl's waist…

Garnet was trying to combat the heads any way she could, but the Hydra was simply too fast and erratic for her to get even one good shot in. Amethyst and Lapis tried to isolate the heads, Amethyst spin-dashing on the ground and Lapis flying through the air, but the heads only led them into each other's attacks. As a result, their fast movements very quickly turned into running for their lives. Steven managed to get to Peridot just as one of the heads finally noticed her, but had to shield and bubble her and himself constantly, trying to get the green gem to safety but getting nowhere.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light captured everyone's attention and stopped the battle cold. The Hydra focused all her heads on this new occurrence. With the frenzy paused, the Crystal Gems made immediate advantage of the lull by making beelines for each other, all gathering around Garnet. Where did that light come from? The Warp Pad? No, it was in the other direction, and this light was much closer. That was when the Crystal Gems noticed some of them were missing…

Steven let a loud gasp. "Giant Woman?!"

The light grew and morphed into a humanoid shape to rival Hydra's size until it burst away into a shower of pink cherry petals to reveal a large beautiful fusion. She was covered in a long, black and light blue robe with a yellow star pattern around its edges, large flowing sleeves, and tied with a blue and black sash around her waist with a neat and tight bow in the back. From what could be seen, she had four slender and toned arms and a pair of lithe, powerful legs. Her long peach-colored hair flowed over her shoulders in whipped-cream shaped peaks. Her skin pristine white, she had full lips, a short pointed nose, and vivid red markings on her lips, eyelids, and cheeks that resembled makeup or even war paint.

The word 'geisha' emerged in Steven's mind after a moment, as he saw a resemblance to a character on his Lonely Blade movies. The fusion held her lower, slightly smaller pair of hands pressed together in a praying positon and her higher pair of arms down by her sides outstretched with her palms turned forward. Her eyes were closed and she was taking deep breaths … seemingly drinking in the whole experience. Her eyelids slowly fluttered open to show a pair of soft pink colored eyes…

Her voice clear, robust, and warm, the fusion finally spoke, "I… love… EVERYTHING about this."

The combined gem found her fellow Crystal Gems and 'approached' them, her increased size and stride covering the distance in a slight shuffle forward. Her footsteps, however, were surprisingly light and quiet. All of them looked up in awe at this brand new fusion, Steven smiling practically ear-to-ear and with stars in his eyes.

"Giant! Woman!" Steven's words and excitement came bursting out of him.

The fusion smiled lovingly at him and said, "Oh, my dear sweet Steven Universe. Please hold that thought for just a moment, and in the meantime, make sure everyone's healed?"

As Steven enthusiastically agreed and set about doing just that, Garnet stepped forward and said, "We're glad you're here. Who are you?"

The fusion took a moment to think before declaring, "I am … Rubellite. It's lovely to see you all. But, we must have proper introductions later, I'm afraid."

Garnet nodded in agreement and ushered the other gems clear while Rubellite turned to the Hydra… All the while, the corrupted fusion had been hanging back and observing intently. She seemed to recognize something had changed … and actually seemed hesitant, almost intimidated. Rubellite looked at her six-headed enemy, but her attitude remained softened.

"You poor gems; I can't imagine the pain you must be in." Rubellite empathetically said, "And yet… even in this strife, you all still managed to come together and fuse. It's … remarkable and encouraging. I promise we'll find a way to help you. It's truly a shame, however, that you must sleep first."

Hydra started to get agitated for the standoff, hissing, writhing, rearing and coiling her necks in anticipation. Suddenly, the first salvo was fired; the Electric head fired a lightning bolt at the Crystal Gem fusion. Rubellite, however, easily caught the shot with her left hands, but then something odd happened: the energy didn't dissipate but surged in her hands! Even further, she felt the energy connect some inside herself and feed the electrical charge. Rubellite tested it … and, yes, she could control it.

Exploring the discovery more, Rubellite began streaming electricity through her smaller pair of hands, saying, "Well, this is interesting … and I must admit, more than a little exciting."

Rubellite then generated electricity in her larger hands and made it buzz and dance in her palms and fingertips until once satisfied, she dissipated the charge. The Crystal Gem fusion hummed in thought a moment as she set about really deducing things about herself. She soon summoned Pearl's staff in her right hands and Carnelian's sword in the others, pondered the sword and unfurled it into a chain whip. Carrying the thought through, she morphed the two weapons together with a flash of light to make a dual bladed staff … but Rubellite was not done. The fusion held her weapon parallel, gave the middle a strong twist, and then pulled the two ends apart to reveal a chain connecting them. The weapon was actually a bladed nunchaku!

Steven and Amethyst gasped and shrieked in astonishment and excitement at the sight of it. Rubellite deftly spun and twirled her new weapon up, down, left, and right, getting acquainted with it, but then took both ends and sent electricity coursing through it until they buzzed and popped with imbued energy.

The fight of the two fusion proper then began, but initially there was no doubt which one was in control. Rubellite combatted Hydra with seeming ease; she knocked and whacked the Hydra's attacking heads away, parrying the projectiles away, and gracefully shifting clear of any attack she didn't meet head on. With light graceful steps, the Crystal Gem fusion then started circling and delicately shuffling around her foe then slowly backing away, all the while still deflecting and parrying the attacks; it was obvious she was leading the corrupted fusion away from the others.

Rubellite then started whacking the Hydra's heads with more force and in all directions, with the corrupted fusion getting more and more enraged and frenzied … and thus unable to realize what was happening. Hydra went for another attack but all her heads pulled short; her necks were all tangled thanks to Rubellite's attacks and direction. The red-pink fusion punctuated her completed plan with a roundhouse kick to the corrupted fusion's side, actually sending the Hydra hard to the ground. Rubellite heard familiar cheers and whistles and smiled at Steven and Amethyst's shouted encouragement. Hydra shakily stood up and very gingerly untangled her necks…

Rubellite observed, saying softly to herself, "We… I best finish this now, as quickly and painlessly as possible, for their sake, for her sake…"

Unfortunately, Hydra seemed to learn from the experience and changed her strategy; she ceased attacking in waves and started to attack with all her heads at once. This proved much more effective as it was much harder to combat six simultaneous assaults at once, even for a powerful fusion like Rubellite. The Crystal Gem fusion was under much more pressure, and soon at least one or two attacks got through that she couldn't dodge and parry.

Rubellite still fought valiantly when the Electric head planted in her side … and latched on! Hydra's plan started to come into focus as the other heads followed suit: the Pillar head spike into her shoulder, sawing back and forth; the Maw head attached onto her leg and directly applied the laser; the Drill head planted into her gut and ground into it; the Ray head aimed for Rubellite's chest, and even though the red-pink fusion got a hand in the way, simply stabbed into her hand and her chest. The Scorpion head had its clawed appendages clasped around her neck while the head growled into her face. Suddenly, Hydra's heads started forcefully pulling backward … trying to pull Rubellite apart!

Rubellite struggled with everything within her to stay together but nonetheless started to glow as her form started to separate…

Pearl and Carnelian's voices came out in unison as the fusion tried to stay together, latching onto something the two shared… "I… I miss you so much… Not a day goes by that I don't think about you … and wish you were still here with me…" Pulling herself back from the brink, Rubellite's form started coming back together, light disappearing from her as she regained stability and Pearl and Carnelian's voices melting back into Rubellite's voice. "Rose… Azurite… I love you with all my heart still. I'll love you always…"

Rubellite used her free hand to grab the Electric head and absorbed some of her energy, and, after dropping her weapon, freed her opposite hand, took hold of the Scorpion head, and sent a powerful shock into her. Hydra reflexively let go with all of her heads … but Rubellite kept hold of the Electric head. Rubellite re-summoned her nunchaku in her free hand, took one bladed end and… KA-SHING! The Crystal Gem fusion severed the Electric head with a clean slash. POOF! A light purple gem was left in Rubellite's hand.

Hydra lurched and stumbled backward, roaring in shock and pain. Rubellite, meanwhile, gently handed the defeated gem to Garnet. Facing Hydra once more, Rubellite connected both ends of the nunchaku back into a bladed staff, but this time she held the middle still with two hands while grabbing closer to the ends. The Crystal Gem fusion gave the two ends a twist then pulled them away to show them connected with a chain as well; her weapon was now a three-section staff!

From there, Rubellite now aggressively attacked, her new weapon going nicely with her smooth flowing movement. The three-section staff gave her longer range and allowed her to strike around defense or could wield both ends for a two-pronged up-close attack. However, she didn't showcase many more of her skills; the battle didn't last very long after Rubellite's change of attack.

In short order, the Crystal Gem fusion started cutting Hydra down. The Drill head and the Pillar head were sliced away next with a single strike. POOF! POOF! Rubellite actually had to chase the evading Maw head but got hold of her soon enough. POOF! The Hydra was slowly backing away now with the Ray still firing but the Scorpion head was hanging back. Rubellite deftly avoided a barrage of icicles while slashing forward. POOF! Hydra's body now completely still and with only one head left, the Scorpion head roared defiantly at the pink-red fusion. Rubellite let her finish before delivering one last two-handed cross slash. POOF! And with that, the entire gargantuan body disappeared into a huge cloud of smoke as well.

Rubellite knelt down and gently scooped up the five defeated corrupted gems, cradling them in her hands as she returns to the rest of the Crystal Gems. Meanwhile, they were all sighing in relief from the ordeal finished. Steven and Amethyst were cheering and whistling. Peridot dramatically fell to the ground in relief. Garnet was smiling bright and even clapping. Lapis was even smiling. Rubellite knelt down, sitting back on her heels with flawless, almost regal posture, and presented the gems to the others for bubbling…

"Now, how is everyone?" Rubellite warmly addressed her fellow gems, "Is everyone alright? Peridot? You had a rough time through all of that. How are you holding up?"

Peridot sat up to answer. "Very shaken yet miraculously unmarred. Also agitated that my hopes for an uneventful day were summarily dashed. Otherwise… I am in good condition."

"I am so glad. And you Lapis? You were excellent in protecting Peridot, by the way. My endless thanks and gratitude for that."

Lapis actually felt herself blushing from the praise. "Well, of course I stayed with Peridot. Nothing to get worked up about."

Rubellite gave her a warm smile. "You're too modest; you were great."

Unable to contain herself any longer, Amethyst said excitedly, "That was so cool! The way you just took over and brought her down, and didn't even break a sweat!"

"Well, I'm glad you're impressed." Rubellite said, winking at the purple quartz.

Meanwhile, Steven was busily taking pictures of the new fusion with his phone before exclaiming exultantly, "You are amazing! And majestic! I knew if I met you, you'd be great, and you so are!"

Rubellite lowered her smaller set of hands for the young gem to step into and lifted him up to her face. She then spoke to him warmly and affectionately, "You're so sweet, as expected. More than anything, I wanted to meet you, Steven Universe. You know, Pearl and Carnelian love you very much … and so do I. You make it very easy."

Rubellite then gave him a very small kiss, even though the smallest kiss she could possibly give still covered most of his upper body. She gently put him back down as Garnet stepped forward…

Happy though obviously not outwardly jubilant, Garnet said, "Congratulations, Rubellite. And welcome; we're happy to have you. And, I must say, you're remarkably stable especially for a first time fusion."

"Garnet, you flatter me … seriously. That's high praise coming from you, thank you."

"So, how do you feel?"

Rubellite's eyes fluttered closed for a moment and took a deep breath ending in a content sigh. "At peace and comfortable. Wistful and enchanted. Warm red and pleasant pink. Loving everything, everyone, and every minute."

"Excellent. That's only going to get even better next time."

Rubellite's face fell into disappointment and dejection … but quickly shook it away, trying to hide her feelings despite the impossibility of that. "Oh … right. Yes… Next time…"

Steven, picking up on it, said, "Don't worry, Rubellite. You'll be back in no time, to fight or just to hang out. You won't be gone long, I promise."

Rubellite affectionately nuzzled his cheek with her forefinger and said. "Thank you, Steven. I can't wait…" The fusion then lightly kissed her fingers and waved to them all. "Until then; I love you all."

Rubellite glowed … but didn't immediately separate. It was a hesitation, but a moment later, she disappear, leaving Carnelian and Pearl behind. Pearl rested back against her red quartz counterpart, her head tilted back to look up at her, Pearl's hand stealing up in her hair. Carnelian held Pearl close with one arm around her waist and caressed her face with the opposite hand. Both in virtual afterglow, the two gems stayed in place with their eyes closed, seemingly taking a moment to realize they were separate again. Slowly, they opened their eyes and gazed at each other. Pearl smiled bright, and Carnelian started to smile … when something visibly hurtled from the back of her mind all the way to the forefront. Suddenly, the red quartz was shaken and perturbed, and so gently put Pearl down and backed a few steps away…

Confused and a little hurt by the reaction, Pearl asked, "Scarlet? What's wrong? Is something the matter?"

Obviously distressed, Carnelian stammered, "Yes. I mean, no. I mean… Oh, stars; Pearl, I'm so sorry I'm acting strange. It's nothing you did. You were, are wonderful. What we did, who we… I just… I sorry, everyone; I have to go."

Carnelian hurried away before they could say anything. Steven and Amethyst chased after her, but she got to the Warp Pad and warped away without looking back.

-XXX-

 _ **Downpour Outpour**_

Hours later, Lapis and Peridot were safely back and settled at the Barn, and Steven, Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst warped back to the temple as a deluge fell outside.

"I wonder if Red's out there…" Amethyst wondered aloud.

"Yes, she's at the lighthouse." Garnet confirmed as she adjusted her shades.

Steven said with a lot of concern, "She seemed so upset. We should go talk to her."

Garnet then suggested, "Also correct. Pearl, I think you should go."

Hugging her elbows and arms close, Pearl said, slightly saddened, "Oh, I'm sure she doesn't want to see me."

"Pearl…" Garnet put a hand on Pearl's shoulder and, as Pearl looked up at the fusion, encouraged her, "Trust me; right now, there's no one else she wants to talk to more ... than you."

That was all Pearl needed to hear; she was secretly thinking and feeling the same thing. She grabbed a large umbrella and headed out… It was a heavy, early evening storm, driving and unrelenting rain showering down. Flashes and rumbles of lightning and thunder sparingly filled the area. Fortunately, there wasn't much wind, so there was no danger of her getting blown away. Pearl trekked around the soggy beach to the hill, walked up the slick glistening grass, and, as predicted, saw Carnelian near the lighthouse. She approached.

Carnelian had been out here before the rain, so, when the sky threatened to pour down, she transformed her coat into a large awning and affixed it to the lighthouse over her, giving herself cover, allowing her to stay. She remained dry while looking out into the furiously cascading rainfall and the frothy, roiling ocean waves. She looked up and was surprised to see Pearl coming toward her, having not heard the petite gem's light footsteps over the deluge…

Pearl approached the opening of Carnelian's makeshift shelter, and said softly, almost sheepishly, "Carnelian, here you are… May I come in?"

Carnelian silently nodded, and Pearl stepped underneath next to her while folding the umbrella. Both then silently watched the rain together, occasionally stealing glances at each other. They had found themselves in the awkward position of both knowing what they wanted to say and really wanting to say them, but neither able to do so. They knew way more about each other now but were still unsure… Yet, they also weren't uncomfortable or anxious.

Pearl eventually asked, "So… any reason you came to this spot?"

"Not really. Just… brooding…" Carnelian finally sighed and pushed forward, "Pearl, I'm so sorry for running off like I did today. I probably worried everyone; it was nothing you or anyone did."

Pearl quickly responded, putting a hand on Carnelian's arm, "No, no, it's okay. We understand. You don't need to apologize… Today was a lot to deal with."

"It's not just today…" Silence again fell between them, but it didn't last long. Carnelian needed to let things out, and so slowly started trickling out what was on her mind. "Everything in this place is so wonderful. I'm constantly finding new things about here that amaze me. Even the bad weather is beautiful in its own way… I still love my teammates and I still miss them all the time, but being in this lovely place with such great gems and people… I'm more and more okay every day… It's funny; you know, Azurite always said I was the strong one in the couple, even though I clearly wasn't. But now … I just, I know I shouldn't be this happy. I shouldn't be happy at all. It's like … I'm healing too fast."

"Carnelian, stop..." Pearl took Carnelian's large hand into both her hands. "It's okay to feel better. It's like you said: you still love them and you still think about them every day. When I was with you today, I could feel how much they mean to you, so I know you'll never forget them. You don't have to punish yourself because you think you should be in pain." Pearl continued on to reveal with unguarded honesty, "In fact, I could probably use some advice… Ever since Rose left, I've been a mess, and I still am … even after all this time, even with Steven. I'm ashamed to say that even now, every now and again, I look at him and wonder… Anyway, don't worry about healing too fast; I can say from experience it can be just as bad not healing fast enough."

Carnelian then held Pearl's hands in one of hers, and herself turned comforting and reassuring now. "Pearl, you're not a mess. Even though you're hurting, you still give care and love to Steven and the others. You're exceptional."

Even though Carnelian let go of her hands, Pearl's cheeks still bloomed blue as she responded, "Carnelian, I have to say this… Thank you so much for today. Despite the circumstances, fusing with you was sublime."

Carnelian actually blushed orange a little as she responded, "Well, I had an incredible partner especially considering how rusty I was. So, thank you, Pearl. Thank you for making my first fusion in a long time a great one."

Pearl giggled and said, smiling, "I hope this isn't too much, but… I'm glad I learned how good you are. I always knew about your strength and confidence; anyone could see that. But to be close to you, and feel your compassion, your open-heartedness, your hopefulness… you really are wonderful."

Carnelian let out a flattered laugh, her whole face blushing orange by this point. "I could say the same for you. I mean, I guessed at these things but feeling them with you full force … blew me away. You're so graceful, so poised, in control, and determined… I couldn't ask for a better partner for my first fusion back."

Pearl looked afar off as a proud, delighted, and loving smile grew on her lips. "And, of course, there's the exquisite Rubellite."

Carnelian gained the same loving smile as she concurred, "Yeah… Our girl is beautiful, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is." Pearl and Carnelian looked back to each other, appreciative and in-sync. "Well, even if it was dramatic, someone good did come from this… Carnelian, do you think you'll be alright?"

"I'm a lot better than alright; that's what worries me … for now."

Pearl smiled in relief and said, "Good… I have to get inside now. We'll definitely have to talk more later."

"Definitely. And could you please tell the others I'll be back in soon?"

Pearl nodded in agreement, opened her umbrella from under the shelter, and with a small wave, headed back out into the rain and toward the temple. Carnelian watched as Pearl walk away and disappeared back down the hill. Despite the lovely heart-to-heart, Carnelian was still in a severe emotional bind, pulled and twisted painfully in different directions. A sinking, crushing feeling of guilt hung over how she felt and what she wanted to so… She did not want to separate from Rubellite. She wanted to fuse with the other gems right now… Despite what she told herself, what everyone told her, and what she knew, she couldn't help but feel so … disloyal and brazen.

And yet, at the same time … it was so soaring and revitalizing to be fused again and with such an excellent partner in Pearl. Everything she loved about fusion came flooding back, it was just revelatory as ever. The dance, the process, the power, the intimacy, the cooperation… Everything about it was lovely, and Rubellite is magnificent, proof that it was good. Carnelian couldn't help wondering with excitement and anticipation about who fusing with Garnet, Amethyst, and Steven could make, and she was almost sure of who fusing with Lapis and Peridot could make. It was a tangle of joy and pain.

Carnelian reached into the awning where her coat pocket would be and pulled out the glass of Azurite's shards … but she just held the glass in her hand; she couldn't bring herself to look at her. The red quartz shakily brought the glass to her lips, still completely enveloped in her fingers, and gave it a very light kiss…

"I'm sorry…" Carnelian uttered in a hurt whisper, "I'm so sorry…"

-XXX-

The cloud arena sat in peace under the soft purple light of the night sky and bright clear speckles of stars. Here Carnelian was uneasily waiting; she was standing still, but it was all she could do to keep from pacing, her hands and feet trembling … with excitement and anxiety. Her hands were shoved into her pockets to hide them, and she just had to hope her knees didn't betray her by knocking together. Amethyst then came casually strolling in, humming a tune and with her hands resting behind her head…

"Yo, Red, I'm here! What'cha need?"

"Hey, Ame…" Carnelian responded, hoping her voice wasn't shaking, "Glad you could make it; right on time too… Amethyst … we're cool, right? You and me?"

Amethyst raised a slightly confused eyebrow and cautiously replied, "Like nighttime at the beach. You even need to ask?"

"Yeah, right, that was a weird question." Carnelian let slip a nervous cough.

Amethyst was getting very suspicious now. "You … feeling alright, Red. Not gonna lie, you're kinda freaking me out."

"Right, sorry…" Carnelian just had to take a deep breath before forging ahead, "Amethyst, I need a favor, or it's more of a request really."

Amethyst agreed with an easy shrug, "Okay, lay it on me; I can get it done for you."

"Now, if it makes you uncomfortable or you don't want to, that's totally fine. Seriously, just say the word, and we'll forget the whole thing…"

"Tanzanite … chill out." Amethyst reassured her fellow quartz, "I know it's probably not something bad. Just ask me, and we'll do it."

Carnelian breathed deep again, prepared herself to accept whatever happened next, and finally said it. "Amethyst… Would you please fuse with me?"

Carnelian saw Amethyst's entire demeanor completely change in an instant; the purple quartz froze, slack-jawed, her eyes wide and her brow raised in shock…

Trying to recover from the awkward situation, Carnelian quickly said, "Hey, it's fine. I totally understand. No harm no foul; we'll just forget—"

"AHHH!"

Amethyst suddenly let out an overjoyed scream that actually caused Carnelian to jump, just from how loud and quick it was…

Raving ecstatically, Amethyst exclaimed, "Dude, of course! Why would I say no to that?! Yesyesyes! OMG! I've wanted to do this with you forever! This is gonna be INCREDIBLE!" Amethyst ran over and grabbed Carnelian's hands, jumping up and down. "Canwedoitnow?! Pleasesaywecandoitnow?! Tell me we're gonna mash it up right now!"

Carnelian was actually getting a little giddy herself, just from seeing Amethyst's joy. "Well, yeah. That's kinda why I asked you to meet me here."

"SWEET!" Amethyst jogged a little ways away to give them both some room. "This is gonna be so awesome!"

Carnelian pointed to Amethyst for her to start, and Amethyst started their dance. At first, it took a few moments for Tanzanite to get use to Amethyst's freeform and frankly sensuous hip rolls and gyrations. Still, they got on the same tempo and rhythm, and ended their dance back to back. Both quartzes disappeared into light and melted into one form with only their red and purple quartz gems visible… The whole form then sunk and flattened against the ground, and everything went black…

End Chapter

 _ **A/N**_ **: Whew, that was a lot. Hopefully, I kept it interesting and engaging enough that you were with it all the way through to the end. I really, honestly, and truly thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you come back to read more. Until next time, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.**


	9. Phantom Quartz

_Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, its characters, or its plot. However, Rebecca Sugar is free to use my characters and storylines, should she be so inclined._

 _ **A/N:**_ **Hello, fellow writers and readers. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy it. Well, it's been a long time, so let's just get right into it. And here … we … go:**

Steven Universe: Crystallize Red

Phantom Quartz

It was a lovely Beach City day, with a warm but constant breeze and clear blue sky over head. So, it was a great time for Steven, Connie, Amethyst, and Carnelian to go to one of the beaches. On this occasion, the two teens were deliberately wearing large swimming clothes, immediately ran frolicking onto the beach as soon as they arrived there, and a moment later, Stevonnie was there. The young fusion was actually the reason for this specific visit; today, they wanted to learn how to surf.

First, Amethyst had them make a board, with Carnelian suggesting how to morph Steven's shield into one and even teaching the process to the young fusion. Stevonnie did learn it but ultimately opted to use a regular board. The two quartzes then went about teaching the young fusion the balancing, timing, and technique of it. It took a few tries and a few wipeouts, Stevonnie laughing joyously the whole way. Eventually, however, Stevonnie got proficient at it, the young fusion surfing flawlessly.

Meanwhile, Carnelian was actually new to the sport, but she was fortunately able to decipher, analyze, and communicate how it worked and how to do it. This really was fortunate because in truth … she was truly terrible at actually, physically surfing. There was a combination of problems and reasons for this, but all with one result; every attempt ended with her taking a swift and often violent dunk into the surf. It was also fortunate that Carnelian didn't need to breathe or have lungs because, after a few times, she was partially certain she swallowed half the ocean. Eventually, she settled into just instructing after draining herself and returning the ocean to the ocean…

The trio eventually stopped to rest, sitting on the beach and talking, laughing, and joking…

"She said 'Jaspers always get what they want'…" Stevonnie recounted, "And she just disappeared back into the ocean."

Amethyst concurred, "Oh, Red, you should've seen them. Stood toe-to-toe with Jasper and made her back! Down! I rushed back to save them, but they ended up saving me."

"Wow. Your second time fusing and you beat back Pink Diamond's Jasper…" Carnelian reacted, growing an impressed and proud smile, "Ha, scared of you; I know she had to be steamed. Stevonnie, you're amazing … and only getting better."

Stevonnie blushed as Carnelian nudged them with her shoulder. The young fusion soon glimpsed something in the water, a vague roiling and churning off into ocean, and then looked closer to confirm it was indeed there.

"Uh, guys, do you see that?" Stevonnie pointed out, a little concerned.

Both the other quartzes spotted the unclear happening. Carnelian had actually caught a glimpse of it earlier during one of her dips but decided not to call alert to it at the time. Now was the time, and it was something.

Carnelian began softly instructing the other two, "Stay calm; it might be watching us. Amethyst, think you can sneak up on it?"

Amethyst agreed in a stage whisper, "Leave it to me."

Amethyst then calmly and with projected ease stood up, her hands relaxing behind her head, and nonchalantly moseyed off the beach. Carnelian directed Stevonnie to continue looking at her and act as if the two were still talking. Once she was a ways off to the side, Amethyst shapeshifted into a shark and dove into the water. Carnelian and Stevonnie discreetly watched Amethyst's fin as she stalked over to the presence.

Amethyst reached it, and both disappeared under the surface. The water went calm … until suddenly the water started fiercely bubbling and churning … but then the water went still again… Suddenly, the water began roiling even more as something slowly started approaching the beach. Carnelian and Stevonnie jumped up and summoned their weapons, Stevonnie with sword and shield in hand and Carnelian getting her coat back on her shoulders. Soon, Amethyst's head and shoulders emerge from the water, only for her to be yanked back under the surface.

Fighting to get above the surface and stay there, Amethyst choked out, "Red…! A little help…!"

Both of the others rushed over, and Stevonnie and Carnelian quickly realized Amethyst had her whip lassoed around something and was struggling to pull it. Both grabbed the whip and joined the tug of war. One thing that only made it harder to get a good grip and good footing was the agitated surf crashing against their legs and into their eyes. They fought their way to get somewhat close to the shore before they stalled and came to a deadlock. Carnelian suddenly waded further into the water along the whip, heading right into the troubled water where this thing was, and then pounced into the water onto it!

Amethyst and Stevonnie soon felt the tension in the whip lessen and thus pulled harder, with Carnelian emerging a short time later still tugging on the whip. A blaring alarm started becoming more audible as the thing broke the surface, all the way until they finally managed to drag it through the sand and onto the beach…Out in the open, the thing was a huge, black, metallic sphere with a prominent light-blue lensed 'eye' on its front. It was almost pristine … except for several dents where it was obviously banged up by Amethyst and Carnelian, and its eye pulsed in time with its distress signal. Carnelian looked and found its speaker, took a hold of it, and … BRZZT! The signal died with a weak crackle, its speaker ripped out in one smooth motion.

"Your silence is appreciated, madam." Carnelian said, tossing aside the now-removed speaker.

With the sphere's eye continuing to pulse, Amethyst wondered, "What d'ya think it is?"

Stevonnie said, "It kinda looks like the Red Eye, expect… Ha, it's a black eye."

All three of them snickered before Carnelian said, "You can say that again… But seriously, this looks like a surveillance drone, but it's really basic. It's probably just taking pictures and recording a couple readings. The more troubling question… What was it sending that distress signal to?"

They didn't have to wait long for that answer. A faint drone of beeps slowly grew overhead, and the trio looked up to see more identical eye drones flying in. In total, a swarm of 20 arrived, hovering overhead and looking down at them…!

The trio quickly got into fighting position, and, as she retracted her whip back to her hands, Amethyst lamented, "Man, we've gotta find a new beach."

Nervously clutching their sword and shield, Stevonnie said shakily, "Ladies, that is a lot, a whole lot…"

An idea sprang into Carnelian's mind. "You're right. In fact … it's too many. Amethyst!"

Amethyst looked over … and saw Carnelian with a hand outstretched towards her. The purple quartz let out a shriek of joy that caught Stevonnie off-guard, and took the red quartz's hand.

As she and Amethyst moved to a clearer spot, Carnelian warned, "Stevonnie, sweetie, stand clear please."

Then, as they took position side-by-side, Amethyst added, "Aw, yeah! Give us room 'cuz we're about to get big!"

"Giant Woman?!" The Steven part of Stevonnie exclaimed. Connie's part then chimed in, "Oh, cool! I never get to see the other Crystal Gems fuse!"

Amethyst and Carnelian performed a mirrored, synchronized dance, ending up back-to-back, and disappeared into the light as all the eyes focused intently on what was happening. A large form grew and rose upward … then went pitch-black and sunk flat against the sand. Stevonnie saw the aura go under their feet, realized they're not nearly far enough away, and got to uncovered sand very fast. Something started moving and slithering under the blanket of darkness and began taking a humanoid shape. The first black eye sensed something was amiss, and started trying to fly away, its eye furiously blinking. FHWIP! CLANG! Suddenly, a large hand shot out of the darkness and grabbed the black eye with just her index finger and thumb!

The aura scuttled away and disappeared in insectoid-shaped shards to reveal the new being's form. She was a large four-armed fusion, with her long platinum hair slicked down and back with the sides curved upward into 'horns' that framed her face. She was stooped close to the ground on her hands and toes in almost a feral or animalistic stance. She wore a tight black vest with a high collar over the back of her neck and a sheer undershirt beneath with netted sleeves, and along with that, tight black pants with netted cut outs on the sides. She had a wide, intimidating grin on her lush lips that showed off her mouthful of sharp teeth, her teeth from the canines back having razor points. It seemed at a glance that she had two eyes, but a closer look revealed two pupils and irises in each one; although, their most striking aspect was their inverted color, completely black sclerae with four gold irises…

This new fusion was beautiful and yet … somewhat scary. She slowly turned the surveillance eye to face her and let out a low rumbling and … menacing laugh.

The fusion taunted the eye with a gleeful yet sinister hiss, "Oh, you have made a _terrible_ mistake."

The black eye was now actively vibrating and trying to pull away. The large fusion didn't give it the chance; she pressed her fingers together and crushed it lifeless, absently dropping it afterward. All the other eyes started slowly hovering backward…

Her voice low, smooth, and smoky, the large fusion mused to herself, "Aww, you poor things… I wonder if they know how much trouble they're in?!"

All the eyes turned and started flying away, but the large fusion lifted up onto her knees and lashed out … literally. From her hands, arms, and shoulders, a barrage of Amethyst's whips and Carnelian's chain sword fired out and ensnared all of the eyes in a chorus of furious snaps! The eyes whirred and pulled to get away but it was no use; they were all stopped cold in midair…

She taunted them, "I'll take that as a yes. But you're just gonna tire yourselves out… There is no escape."

The large fusion generated energy on her body in black flames, and sent it along her whips and chains. The energy connected and burst against the eyes in simultaneous firework-like explosions, with the impact and aftershock of so many actually causing Stevonnie to separate. All the eyes fell into the water still lashed, and she reeled them all in…

Looking over at the two prone teens, the large fusion said, "Steven, Connie, will one of you be a dear, and go get the others, please?"

Connie stayed as Steven rushed off. Only Pearl was in the temple at the time, and upon seeing her, Steven let out a loud and long string of information all as one word with mentions of 'fusion', 'eyes', and 'surfing'. Pearl was still very lost when Steven simply said they needed to go and both rushed out… Pearl let out a deep gasp upon seeing the large fusion, as they returned to find, with Connie perched on her shoulder, the new fusion sitting cross-legged and intently watching the captured eyes. Just then, one of them started to wriggle free…

She spoke quietly, almost encouraging, "That's it. You've got it. Just a little more." The eye slid free. THWIP! She instantly lashed it and pulled it back down. "Aw, shoot. Maybe next time…" Two of the eyes were, meanwhile, looking and blinking at each other, obviously communicating. "Oh, what's this? You two collaborating? Great idea; I bet you have something real good cooked up…" The fusion gave a flick of her hand and smashed the two eyes into each other with the whips, letting out a satisfied chuckle.

"Hey, they're back!" Connie announced, finally spotting Steven and Pearl.

She let Connie down and looked, and upon seeing Pearl, her tone sweetened if not really softened. "Well, hellooo, Pearl…"

Pearl stopped, going a bit rigid, and responded, "Oh, hello; a pleasure to meet you. Who might you be?"

"Phantom Quartz. The pleasure's all mine. And if you don't mind me saying…" The fusion lied down so she was looking at Pearl. "You look positively radiant today."

Pearl felt her body grow hot and felt her face blush blue from Phantom Quartz's voice, tone, and the look in the fusion's eyes, only managing to laugh nervously in response. Connie and Steven showed Pearl the first, now-impacted black eye and gave a synopsis of all the preceding events. With that, Pearl got to work opening up the eye and looking around inside it. However, something kept deterring her focus; she constantly felt eyes on her … and not the mechanical ones. Phantom Quartz was prone resting her chin on her arms almost … gazing at Pearl. She would glance over occasionally, and Phantom Quartz would simply give her a small smoldering smile and, one time, a gentle wink. That one made Pearl blush to her toes.

Eventually, Pearl asked, somehow able to keep her voice from quivering, "Is … something the matter, Phantom Quartz?"

"Not at all. Just enjoying watching you work."

Pearl briefly, nervously giggled and said, "Well, I am flattered, but it's rather hard to concentrate with you so … transfixed."

"Oh. My apologies…"

Phantom Quartz gave one last smile and rolled on to her back. Pearl then got back to work relieved, and after a moment, reported, "Okay, that should delete its memory and stop its alarm signal. Anything further will require Peridot and I." Pearl then turned to the fusion. "In the meantime… Thank you so much, Phantom Quartz, and it was wonderful meeting you. We couldn't have done this without you, but I think it's safe for you to separate now."

…

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Pearl…"

There was only a slight change in Phantom Quartz's voice but it was enough of a downturn to give Pearl chills. She asked, "I… I'm sorry?"

Phantom Quartz turned her head to them, and pointed out, "I have to keep the rest of the eyes leashed. Just one put up a good struggle…"

Connie added, "She's right. Stevonnie, Tanzanite, and Amethyst could barely get this eye onto the beach."

Pearl looked at the other snared eyes, saying, "Oh, yes, of course. I'm sorry, Phantom Quartz; I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I'm just a little … overwhelmed by you."

"Aww, Pearl, you're so _sweet._ "

The way she said that last word only served to prove Pearl's point. She quickly changed the subject, saying, "Nonetheless, we have to get them out of here before anyone sees them or you. We need to get them to a secure location, preferably with a lot of space."

Steven spoke up as an idea popped into his mind, "Oh, what about where the old communication hub was?! It's got a lot of space, and the warp pad is fixed now, so we can get there easy."

"And we can get Garnet and the others on the way." Connie added.

Pearl thought for a moment before saying, "That does seem our best option. Phantom Quartz … do you know where the communication hub is?"

Phantom Quartz searched her own mind a moment and said, "Indeed, I do… You all get everyone, and I'll meet you there…"

With a plan in place, Phantom Quartz started off … in her own way. The large fusion planted her and arched up off the ground onto her hands in a 'back bridge'. When she moved, her limbs go didn't in unison or really in concert, but one-by-one in an undulation fashion. In this rather unnerving position, she 'walked' into ocean dragging the eyes behind her…

-XX-

"I'm actually surprised you want to come along, Lapis." Peridot expressed.

"With all this stuff falling out of the sky these days, how can I leave you alone right now?"

Peridot muttered, "Well, I'll have the others for protection, so I don't understand your concern, but okay…"

With all the Crystal Gems walking from the Barn to the warp pad, Connie spoke, "Just to let you know before you meet her: Phantom Quartz is … eccentric."

Steven added, "Yeah, but don't worry; I'm sure you'll love her when you meet her. Don't you think, Pearl?"

Pearl was somewhat caught off-guard, at a lost for what to say. "Uh, I mean … yes. If nothing else… Phantom Quartz is friendly and … attentive."

As they all stepped up on to the warp pad, Garnet said, "I'm sure this will be very interesting."

They disappeared in a column of light and arrived at the communication hub in a flash as Pearl mused aloud, "I wonder what Phantom Quartz did to entertain hers— whoa…"

Filling the hub was a veritable forest of whips and cords all around, crisscrossing, weaving, and intersecting overhead, up and down, and to the ground. The columns of destroyed hub were used throughout as structure and for anchors. Thankfully, this thick 'bramble' gave just enough room for them to walk through it. The Crystal Gems traversed it looking in awe and transfixed at the sheer volume and tangle of them including several what-looked-like intricate designs in amongst it all.

In the middle was a huge, exquisitely elaborate weave that could only be described as a web, with all the remaining eyes snared in and all over it, and reclined in the middle of the web was Phantom Quartz. While the web was gargantuan to the others, it served as a small hammock for the fusion, and she nevertheless rested on her web completely upside down. Phantom Quartz, eyes gently closed, strummed on a couple nearby cords with her top hands to make a harp-like sound while making soft percussion with her lower hands.

Peridot accidently bumped into one of the vertical whips. THURRR… A long vibration traveled upward into the surrounding ones and into the web's midst. The disturbance quickly reached the middle of the web and the fusion. She looked up to see them, and her face 'lit' up; it became very clear very fast that even a genuinely happy smile from Phantom Quartz was at least a little unsettling, especially with her face inverted…

As they approached her, Phantom Quartz gushed, "Ah, there's my crew; I was beginning to worry. And the whole gang's here; how excellent." The fusion slowly lowered herself, still upside down, with one of the cords around her waist and one of her legs. "Lapis… You grace me with your presence. Honestly, I would've been a little disappointed if I didn't get to meet you … and not just because Carnelian is quite fond of you… Please don't tell her I told you that."

Actually nonplussed by all of this, Lapis responded in stride, "You have my word."

"Mmm… Peridot…" The fusion turning her attention onto her actually made the green gem jumped a little. "Of course, I can't leave you out. Amethyst thinks you're pretty special too, and she doesn't care if you know she does."

"Really?" Peridot kept herself composed even though she couldn't keep herself from blushing, "Well, that's very generous of her."

Phantom Quartz continued on, "You've been working a lot of overtime, Peri… We need to find something … _special_ to do for you." The fusion gave a small smirk that failed to calm Peridot. "So, Pearl, Peridot, shall we get you both up here so you can get to work?"

With both gems looking up warily at the large web, Pearl suggested, "Actually… Would it be too much if you lowered them to us?"

"Are you both sure? It's much less treacherous than it looks." Phantom Quartz's tone then dropped slightly. "I promise to keep you both safe."

Peridot nervously replied, "Yes… Uh, yes. We're sure; right, Pearl?" Pearl immediately nodded in agreement.

"Hmm, you're the bosses. Coming down…" Phantom Quartz slowly lowered the eyes to the ground.

Steven quickly asked, "Can we get on the web?"

Connie added, "Yeah, it would be great to experience it up close."

"For you two, anything…" Phantom Quartz lowered and cupped her two upper hands. "Lapis, would you mind helping me look after them, please?"

Steven and Connie stepped in the Phantom's hands, and the fusion carefully retracted them back up, Lapis flying up afterward. Pearl and Peridot went to work as the large fusion gently laid the two young teens on the lines, and Lapis landed along with them. The two fusions soon met eyes, and Phantom Quartz again lowered herself down to Garnet…

"And finally, the fusion of love herself." Phantom Quartz said with a smile, "Hello, Garnet. You are every bit as immaculate and lovely in person, if not more so."

Garnet chuckled slightly. "It's nice to see you too, Phantom Quartz. You're certainly full of compliments."

Phantom Quartz began unconsciously, slowly spinning on her web. "Just stating facts, my fair fusion. And here comes another: Garnet, I must say, your poise and luminosity bring a pleasant sense of relief and calm to any situation."

Garnet chuckled again. "Alright, let's not get sidetracked; I want to talk about you. You certainly look well. How are you feeling?"

"Hmm… I feel a lot of things. I apologize if this is too forward, but…" Phantom Quartz stopped, looked right into Garnet's eyes, and offered her hand. "You can experience it first-hand if you want."

Garnet actually, for a split second, considered it but… "Maybe at a later date. Right now's not the best time."

Phantom Quartz took it in stride and pulled her hand back, saying, "Of course. Well, the offer stands should you ever desire."

The larger fusion started going back up, but Garnet spoke up, "Phantom Quartz, wait… There's something very important we need to discuss." The larger fusion stopped and lowered herself back down to face Garnet. "… You're going to refuse to separate…"

Phantom Quartz's enthusiasm dampened. "'Refuse' is a strong word; it's more like … 'decline' or 'elect not to'."

"I don't have to tell you how dangerous that can be… Is something wrong?"

After a long pause, Phantom Quartz finally responded, "Yes … but it's difficult to relay… I am aware of the incident with my sister, Sugilite, and, yes, I know the same instincts could overtake me… Though she's great in her own ways, I am not Sugilite. I've been calm and in control this whole time; I'm at peace right now. And in this place, I'm out of the way and a danger to no one."

"Phantom Quartz, if something is bothering you or Amethyst or Tanzanite, you need to tell us, so we can help you."

"I … need to be me for a while. I promise, it won't be too long. But, they, we, I need this."

The two fusions fell into uneasy and conflicted silence before Phantom Quartz finally retracted herself back up to rejoin Steven, Connie, and Lapis. Meanwhile, Pearl was listening the whole time…

Pearl spoke while still working, "Garnet, are you sure about this? It seems like this could implode rather quickly."

"You're not wrong. Even knowing that, I'm still not sure what to do."

Pearl asked, a bit of her anxiety over it all slipping out, "We won't have to force her apart, will we? I would hate needing to do that to her."

"As would I. And that's assuming we even can separate her, if she fights back. More than anything, whatever is going on with her, splitting her up will only make it worse."

Pearl had to momentarily stop working to ask. "So, what do we do?"

"We don't have much choice but to leave her be for now … but not for long."

Pearl rejoined Peridot in working with Steven, Connie, and Phantom Quartz enjoying the webs while Garnet and Lapis 'supervised'… Soon, Steven and Connie left so Connie could go home, but the other Crystal Gems stayed late into the night until all the eyes were wiped and deactivated. The whole process took too long, so transporting them to the barn for reprogramming or scraping had to be put on hold for the next day. Garnet, Pearl, Lapis, and Peridot left… Phantom Quartz remained there and together.

-XX-

Midday the next day, Steven was looking through the fridge mulling over lunch when Garnet and Pearl came out of the temple.

Garnet asked, "Steven, have you seen Amethyst or Tanzanite around?" Before he could answer, the fusion asked a touch more urgently, "Did you hear either of them come in last night? Or hear the warp pad last night?"

Steven was nonetheless unfazed. "Nope, all was quiet last night."

Pearl grew very worried very quickly. "Garnet, you don't think they're still fused, do you?"

Steven answered. "I think they are. Peridot texted me saying she was going back to the hub to work on the eyes some more. Then, she texted me when she got there, said she should be safe with Phantom Quartz watching."

"Garnet?" Pearl called, looking over to the fusion perturbed.

Garnet let out a resolute sigh, and said as she adjusted her shades, "Enjoy your lunch, Steven. We'll meet up with them once you're done."

-X-

Garnet, Pearl, and Steven exited the warp pad to a similar but modified situation to the day before. Instead of an elaborate tangle weave, they were in bunches all around, and molded and woven into several gothic structures and sculptures. Phantom Quartz 'lit up' upon seeing Steven running up to her, and directed him to an elaborate obstacle course made from her cords. The larger fusion then saw Pearl and Garnet as Steven began climbing, and smiled and waved to them.

"We have to do something." Garnet said, "But without getting her to open up, it will backfire."

Pearl asked uneasily, "So, what do we do? How do we do that?"

After a long pause, Garnet relayed as she looked at Pearl, "We have to match her… There is one gem who might get her to talk."

Pearl looked at Garnet confused for a moment, but she smiled and her eyes lit up when she realized what the fusion meant…

Pearl called out, "Phantom Quartz? Could you give us some space, please?"

"Anything for you, Pearl…" Phantom Quartz replied, not really paying attention.

Phantom Quartz remotely pulled apart one of the nearby cord thickets, opening up the rest of the wide open wilderness to them, and Pearl and Garnet stepped out into it…

Phantom Quartz, Peridot, and Steven were preoccupied when a pink light flaring up from where Garnet and Pearl left caught their attention. Peridot looked for a second but continued to work. Steven looked with a joyful gasp and leapt down to get closer. Phantom Quartz looked over and watched as another fusion formed and was immediately struck: her bright smile, her gorgeous and elegant demeanor, her hourglass figure… The other fusion flourished the pink aura away like a show curtain…

Sardonyx announced, as lively, arresting, and clear as ever, "Goooooooooood Evening, Everybody! This is the _lovely_ Sardonyx with a special guest appearance! How are ya'll doing this afternoon?!"

Phantom Quartz mused softly and completely enraptured, "Oh, my dear sweet rock Goddess... Now, **that** is a jewel!" The fusion quickly climbed down from her web.

"Sardonyx!" Steven exclaimed.

Sardonyx happily scooped him up in her hands. "And here he is, ladies and gentlemen, the one and only Steven Universe. It's so wonderful to see you again, Steven."

"It's great seeing you too, Sardonyx." He then gasped with realization and with stars in his eyes. "O! M! G! There's someone you totally have to meet!"

"Oh, I'm very aware there's someone very special here. It's exactly why I arrived, just to meet her." The fusion put Steven back down, materialized a microphone, and started announcing, "Welcome, one and all, to a special edition of Sardonyx Tonight! I am here on location at the former communication hub, where yours truly actually made her grand return (or debut, for all of you reading this story). Today, we have a very special guest: a brand new fusion, our second newcomer in as many weeks in fact. Everyone, please give a warm welcome to … Phantom! Quartz!" Sardonyx motioned to the web … only for it to be empty. "That's … unexpected. Where did she-"

All the cords and lines then suddenly and dramatically unraveled and flew a short distance before dissipating into a cloud. Phantom Quartz then casually stepped out of the smoke … with some changes. First, she was standing fully upright, revealing that she actually had an hourglass figure and was actually a hair taller than Sardonyx. She had also added a shimmering effect to her top as well as hints of dark 'eyeshadow' and 'gloss' to her lips…

"Oooh; a costume change and a dramatic entrance … a gem after my own heart." Sardonyx then approached her fellow fusion. "Welcome, Phantom Quartz. It's so good to finally meet you."

Phantom Quartz extended her hand with a small smile. "Oh no, Sardonyx, the pleasure is certainly all mine, and I dare say…" She gently shook Sardonyx's hand and gave her a small bow. "Even the word 'lovely' doesn't quite do you justice."

Sardonyx gave a flattered giggle. "Well, thank you; you're quite the looker yourself… But let's not get sidetracked; this is _your_ big day."

"Oh, really? What have I done to warrant being in your charming presence?"

"OHOHOHO!" Sardonyx let out her distinctive strong laugh, even more flattered, and continued, "Oh, stop; keep talking like that, and we'll never get anywhere…" She then raised her microphone to her fellow fusion. "Let's start with your abilities. What unique talents do you have?"

"Hmm, well, I've yet to need to use it, but my true weapon is…" Phantom Quartz pressed her lower hands together and slowly pulled them apart to produce a barbed whip with multiple ends. "… A Cat-O-Nine-Tails. Quick and precise, can injure or capture… But that's not all; thanks to Amethyst's and Carnelian's morphing skills, that's not the only thing I can make…"

Sending her whip away, Phantom Quartz placed her hands together and started rapidly shaping and weaving her cords and whips into several shapes: a bird, a rabbit, a tower, an impressive hollow globe of Earth… Then, she used all four of her hands to weave a bouquet of flowers, and with a bow presented them to Sardonyx…

Sardonyx took and cradled them in her left hands, saying, "For me? You shouldn't have."

Phantom Quartz gave a pleased smile and said, "Well, now I'm feeling pretty confident … and a little bold. So… does the Lovely Sardonyx have any requests?"

Sardonyx playfully replied, "Hmm. You're impressive so far. How about you surprise me?"

Phantom Quartz looked at Sardonyx intrigued, and then quickly came up with something. With the 'flowers' dissipating, Phantom Quartz began swiftly and deftly working her hands separately, with her eyes drifting closed as she concentrated. Her lower, smaller hands were working on something thin and cylindrical while her larger and bigger hands were working on something circular. It became apparent a moment later just what she had in mind as she finished up, and soon she had weaved … a top hat and baton!

Phantom Quartz presented her two latest creations to a very delighted Sardonyx. However, the tall pink fusion didn't respond with her usual boisterous chortle but instead with a pleased and … allured giggle. Steven was a little lost by the interaction between the two fusions even though he was getting very familiar feelings to Ruby and Sapphire during the baseball game, all while hearing Peridot groaning with bemusement at the whole thing. Sardonyx flipped the top hat onto her head, it fitting her perfectly of course, and twirled the baton in her free hand…

"Oh, you are just too much…" Sardonyx said, her voice low and enticed, before she remembering what was going on and had to recover. "Oh, yes, we're still on the air; sorry about that interruption folks. Anyway, Phantom Quartz… This is your grand debut in hopefully a successful, long-running series. How are you enjoying your arrival so far?"

Phantom Quartz then admitted with a little embarrassment, "Well… Actually… A small confession: this isn't my first time fusing."

An unseen audience gasped, and Sardonyx added an exaggerated gasp of her own. "A surprise twist! Please elaborate; and don't spare any juicy details."

Phantom Quartz explained, "The first time was actually a week ago. This is actually my … third time. The other times were only for a few minutes each, enough for me to get my bearings and gain my weapon. This time has been the longest I've been around."

Sardonyx dramatically wagged her finger in response. "Tsk tsk; keeping such a momentous event exclusive. You seem so crystal clear and straightforward but you're a regular … Con-Fusion." She verbally leaned into the last word and actually got a laugh from her fellow fusion.

"You're charming, pretty, and funny… But yes, I do deserve that, I suppose. We and I apologize."

"Oh, don't be sorry, darling. Your familiarity has obviously paid off…" Sardonyx's attitude turned somber. "However, that does lead into heavier topics. I understand you're reluctant to separate, a potentially dangerous prospect I'd say."

In turn, Phantom Quartz became slightly anxious and tense. "Well … yes. Yes, that's true… I do know the problems with this, and I am aware of what happened with Sugilite. But, I just … keep holding on."

"Hm. Garnet thinks that something is bothering you or troubling you into staying. Is everything alright? Are you … stuck? Or … scared?" Sardonyx asked. However, Phantom Quartz balked, visibly wrestling with something behind her eyes. Putting the hat and baton aside and lowering her mic, Sardonyx placed a comforting hand on her fellow fusion's shoulder and spoke empathetically, "Whatever it is, we really want to be here for you. We won't be upset. We're not going to judge; everyone watching and reading this knows I can't judge… Please confide in us; we only want to help. Isn't that right, audience?" The unseen crowd clapped in support.

Though still pensive, Phantom Quartz looked to Steven, who gave a thumbs-up in support, sighed, and then revealed, "It's … Carnelian. She's asking Amethyst if it's okay to stay, Amethyst is willing, and it's mostly okay because they both think I'm a blast… Honestly, though, Carnelian has been feeling … very lovesick lately; she had a romantic partner for several millennia before all this happened, and it's been wearing on her lately. She was dealing with it pretty well but then … Rubellite." Sardonyx gave a nod and hum of agreement.

Phantom Quartz continued, "Pearl, of course, is terrific, so fusing with her was terrific … but also overwhelming. It brought everything back for Carnelian, and put it in stereo… That's when I first arrived. Because she and Amethyst are sisters, being me is still being close without it being so … 'complicated'. Oh, that sounds terrible, and it's not even the right word."

"No, thank you for sharing. This is quite a conundrum, a messy tangle of red strings."

Phantom Quartz added, "Tell me about it. That's also probably why I've been more aware of everyone else's charms, or, in your case, Sardonyx, much quicker to the inevitable."

Sardonyx let out a tension-relieving giggle. "Yes, Pearl can personally attest."

"She … can?" Phantom Quartz asked, slightly confused.

"Oh, darling, yes! You had Pearl all aflutter for a quite a while there."

"I did? I had no idea; I was just speaking to her normally, I thought."

"Well, let me tell you, from a gem with a similar opinion… you're really quite enchanting."

Visibly reciprocating, Phantom Quartz smiled in appreciation before continuing, "In any case, this whole problem is difficult enough just to say aloud; part of Carnelian is screaming right now."

"Understandable. Still, we are made of smart, helpful, and dedicated gems. I'm sure a beneficial solution for all can be found with a little discourse. And yours truly would welcome it because…" Sardonyx's voice dropped into a more casual and unguarded tone. "I would, uh, really like to see you more often."

"Likewise…" Phantom Quartz replied, her tone changing to match her fellow fusion.

Sardonyx lightly cleared her throat and went back to her announcer's voice as she raised her microphone back up, "Well, I believe that's all the time we have for today." The unseen audience responded with exaggerated disappointment. "Yes, I know, I know. But don't fret; we'll be back wherever and whenever the situation requires. Phantom Quartz, thank you so much for joining us. You … will be alright, yes?"

Phantom Quartz gave a gentle nod and a smile, saying, "Yes, I think I'm good now."

"Fantastic! For all of us here at Sardonyx Tonight and all the Crystal Gems, we bid you adieu—"

Phantom Quartz quickly touched Sardonyx's hand. "Sardonyx, wait… Hold on just a moment."

Sardonyx looked over, a little caught off-guard. "Is … something the matter?"

Phantom Quartz then softly and alluringly said, "Oh no. It's just… It's so rare for two fusions like yourself and I to be awake at the same time, and everything is peaceful now and going so well. So, if I could be so bold to ask that, before we both depart…" Phantom Quartz stepped back a little, bowed low, and offered her hands. "If you would give me the honor of one dance?"

Sardonyx stood silent for a moment … then dropped her microphone. "Jorge… Play us a little something."

Sardonyx softly placed her hands into Phantom Quartz's and they stepped clear. As Sardonyx requested, music gently played, and the two fusions engaged in a simple short waltz, alternating the lead, taking turns twirling and even dipping each other, both laughing and softly giggling throughout. Steven meanwhile simply watched with a smile at the peaceful, comforting sight. Their dance eventually came to a gradual stop with both fusions still smiling. Slowly, they stepped back … save for still holding a single hand.

Sardonyx spoke first, "That … was wonderful."

"Absolutely. We should do that again next time."

"Agreed… Until we meet again."

"May it be very soon."

POOF! Both fusions disappeared into clouds, and left Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, and Carnelian behind…

"Well, that was unexpected." Garnet commented as the four stepped away from each other.

Pearl added, "I'm not sure I've ever heard of that before. Two fusions being mutually attracted to each other? All this time, and we're still learning things."

Amethyst then added, her hands relaxing behind her head, "Eh, it was kinda cool. Weird, but I'm not knocking it."

Carnelian however, remained silent, her head hung and her shoulders slumped, and finally kneeled on both knees…

"Amethyst…" Carnelian called. Amethyst turned and actually recoiled when she saw her on bended knee. The red quartz continued, "I'm so sorry. I… I deceived you, and I took advantage of you. I am so sorry."

"You … did?" Amethyst replied, confused and a little unsettled.

Carnelian lowered her head and said, "I was having problems, and I fused with you, so I can feel better. I shouldn't have done it, and I should have told you. Please, I hope you can forgive me."

Amethyst was only more confused but explained, "Well, sure, I forgive you, but… I kinda figured that was the reason the first time, and if I had a problem with that, I would've said no. Yeah, you should've said so, but it wasn't that hard to figure out." Carnelian however remained with her head still bowed, so Amethyst pressed forward. "Red, even if it was a big deal, I can't be too mad; I've been there. We've been there." Pearl and Amethyst looked at each other, with Pearl nodding in agreement with the last statement. "Helping you deal with you issues is part of the whole fusion package, and Phantom Quartz is super cool. So, don't sweat it; we're good."

Amethyst turned away … but then Garnet stepped forward and said, "Wait. Tanzanite… Carnelian, what are you actually apologizing for?" Carnelian started to answer but hesitated. Garnet then firmly insisted, "If you want **me** to forgive you, I need to know what you're sorry for."

After a moment, Carnelian finally answered, "For being stupid … and being ridiculous. I'm sorry because I gave in … and for thinking of it as giving in."

"We said if you wanted to fuse, you just had to ask. You wanted to, and you asked, so…"

"Yes, I know. But I still feel guilty, and now I'm all twisted up and upset because I know I shouldn't feel guilty. It's because… Because of…"

Garnet stopped her. "Say no more; I understand… I don't have to tell you what you to do; you already know. You just need to let it happen."

"I'm trying."

Steven then stepped forward and hugged Carnelian about the neck. "It's okay; we love you, and we'll help you figure this out."

Carnelian hugged him back, saying with a chuckle, "Thanks, Steven. And thank all of you for putting up with me." Finally, the red quartz stood up and brushed off her knees. "So, I take it I'm on probation then."

Garnet replied, "Oh, I'm not sure about that—"

Pearl interjected, "Actually, uh … I think the offer to fuse should still stand… Don't you think so, Amethyst?"

Amethyst was again caught but shrugged nonchalantly a moment later. "Hey, I've got no complaints. I'm here if you want."

Touched by the support, Carnelian smiled and said, "Thank you; you're more understanding than I deserve." A relieved silence grew as they all started to rejoin Peridot until Carnelian spoke up once more, "So, uh, one more thing… Phantom Quartz and Sardonyx, their whole 'thing'… What do we _even_ do about that?"

Everyone responded with a chorus of groans, whistles, and other verbal signals of confusion, exasperation, and just generally being lost and unequipped to deal with the situation. They really had no idea where to even start with that.

End Chapter

 _ **A/N:**_ **And there you have it. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. I'm hoping to get the next chapter up sooner, so I will start working on it immediately. Thanks again for reading, I hope you enjoyed, and I really hope you come back for more. And, as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.**


	10. Crystallization Complete

_Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, its characters, or its stories. However, Rebecca Sugar is free to use my characters and storylines if she so chooses…_

 _ **A/N:**_ **Hello, fellow readers and writers. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy reading. Well, we're starting to wind down; we have 4 chapters left! As such, things are going to get more dramatic and … harrowing. So, let's get to it; we have a lot to get through and time is running out. And here … we … go:**

Steven Universe: Crystallize Red

Crystallization Complete

"Gosh, this really takes me back…" Greg said wistfully.

It was the morning of the showcase, and the task of setting up the stage was underway, placing it on the side of the car wash facing the beach. Greg was rigging up the lights and setting up the system speaker. Carnelian, meanwhile, tested the audio out of the speakers with Greg, playing all the backing tracks and making sure they were clear and in order, as well as familiarizing herself with a soundboard rented from Steven's friend Sour Cream, a device that allowed her to play all the parts of a song solo. All the while, they both made sure everything was connected…

Greg continued, "It's been so long since I've had to set up a show like this. Guess I have you to thank you for that, Tanzanite."

Carnelian chuckled and said, "Are you serious, Greg? No, I need to be thanking you, especially since you're basically the sponsor for this whole thing… Truly, from every mineral in my gem, thank you."

"You're very welcome… By the way, just out of curiosity, what are you planning to do with the money?"

"What do you mean?" Carnelian asked, confused, "I'm giving the money to you."

Greg reacted, taken aback, "What?! No, you don't have to do that. In fact, you shouldn't give it to me; I'm already wealthy."

Carnelian raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Really? You're rich?"

"Hey, don't let my modesty fool you. I'm completely set for life over here."

Carnelian took a moment to accept the idea and pivot her thinking before deciding, "Um, okay, then… I'll give it to Steven."

Greg retorted, "My money is his money. I don't want or need much, so all that's left over (and there's a lot left over) is all his, when he's old enough." Carnelian looked away, a little lost, causing Greg to say, "Don't worry too much about it. You'll find something good to use it for."

Carnelian grew a small smile as a thought came to her, "Greg…? You're single, right?" That question actually made him snap his attention to her. "I mean, you're sweet and caring, you're a great father… It's been 14 years; have you ever tried or, at least, thought about … finding another love?"

Greg had to quickly shift his mind back to neutral before he could respond. "Hmm, yes, a few times actually. I think about it from time to time. I go on one or two dates every now and again. In the end, though, nothing's panned out. Any, uh…" Greg paused with a nervous laugh. "Any reason you ask?"

"Just asking, one widow to another. I've been thinking about it, and I think I have an answer, but I could always use another view. You've been through this longer, and you've been a big help to me since I first got here. I'd like your opinion on this."

"Oh, I think you just need to listen to your own heart on that. Not me or really anyone else can tell you what to do because everyone lives differently and everyone heals differently. However you feel, be honest about it and listen to it. There's your right answer."

"Hmm, well said… Thank you, Greg; that's what I thought… Seriously, though, we need to get you a girlfriend; you're too much of a catch to be twisting in the wind."

Carnelian then affectionately grabbed the smaller human in a headlock, causing him to laugh in mock-protest, and once satisfied, allowed herself to be lightly shoved away.

-XX-

Late afternoon had come, blankets had been laid down in front of the stage for attendees, and the time for the showcase was almost there, but there were already a few surprises. The showcase had 12 songs, syncing nicely with four upbeat, four somber, and finally four heavy, so Carnelian, minus the other Gems, was only expecting 12 people …but about 5 times that many showed up. Some of the people were ones who stopped before, of course, including the smitten boy and girl from a few weeks before. Some were the fellow wrestlers from the wrestling league including Mr. Smiley. Sour Cream had come along with his family including his mother Vidalia, who was apparently an old friend of Amethyst. Some of the beach shop owners even had mini-kiosks set up for vending: the Fry Family (the middle one in size and age kept pestering her with questions about the Diamonds but he only made wild assumptions with no real knowledge about what he was asking); the pizza shop that employed Stevonnie's Kiki; and the donut shop with the cute-as-a-button Sadie.

Carnelian appropriately had made changes to her outfit for the occasion: her hair was swept to one side with bouncing curls, and she changed her coat to a much lighter material, perfect for flying in the evening ocean breeze. Soon, the Crystal Gems arrived as well as Connie … the latter with guests, her parents! The youngest Maheswaran had her hair done up and wore a light dress with stylish pants underneath. Carnelian stepped down from the stage and went to meet them…

"Scarlet! You look amazing!" Connie called excitedly as the red quartz approached her family.

"You look incredible too, Connie." Carnelian then turned her attention to the girl's parents, saying as she shook their hands in greeting, "Dr. Maheswaran, Officer Maheswaran, I didn't expect you to stay for this, either of you."

Doug said with a smile, "Oh, no, we always make time when Connie has a performance."

Connie chimed in, "I told them it's only one song and it was unnecessary."

Priyanka then interjected, "Nonsense, we wouldn't miss this."

Carnelian simply said, "Well, I hope you enjoy the show."

Carnelian then checked and saw that the time was upon them. The red quartz nodded acknowledgment to the Crystal Gems before running over and dropping a kiss on Steven's head, and finally headed for the stage. Carnelian walked onto the stage to claps and whistles, having to keep herself from recoiling at that response, and smoothly walked to the microphone in the center of the stage…

"Good evening, Beach City!" The crowd of about 60 people cheered as she began, "Before we get started, I want to give a thank you to Mr. Sour Cream, who provided some equipment for me tonight." Carnelian motioned toward Sour Cream, and everyone turned and clapped for him. "I also have to give special thanks to one man in particular: he taught and trained me in all things guitar, and who also is taking new students. He's the main sponsor for the whole thing, and he personally helped me put together this whole set-up. He is the most responsible for making this all happen. Please, let's give him a round of applause … for Mister! Greg! Universe!"

Carnelian motioned toward Greg, and everyone applauded for him, as prompted. The elder Universe actually found himself growing bashful from all the attention. Still, Carnelian let the applause die down before continuing, "Now then… Thank you all for coming to listen to me tonight, and thank you to everyone who donated and contributed to tonight's playlist. So, without further ado…" The red quartz conjured up her guitar in a shower of white sparkles, drawing oohs and aahs from her audience, and turned the stage lights on with a thump of a sound, controlling them with a device on her arm. "Let's rock. This first one goes out to the one Mr. Smiley."

Carnelian started the showcase propped with the rapturous, warbling opening riff of Jimi Hendrix's 'Voodoo Child'. From the outset, Carnelian's skill and artistry on her instrument was evident. The songs sounded a bit different with one musician playing, but she was still mostly spot-on performing the riffs, chords, melodies, and rhythms. Her contralto also gave most of the songs a different feel, but she was still lively and energetic when needed, soulful and sincere mostly, and always bold and confident.

The next song was Guns and Roses' Welcome to the Jungle 'for Fryman', and immediately Carnelian bit into it with the song's reverberating and cascading riff. She couldn't scream as high as the original singer but communicated the feeling with a slight snarl in her voice. Then came Sammy Haggar's Can't Drive 55 for … Mayor Dewey?! Carnelian chuckled at that one, considering the raucous and defiant tune. When the time came for the defining '55!' shout in the chorus, Carnelian give a roar that made the audience upfront shake … and then clap once they recovered.

After she finished the song and let the clapping and whooping subside, Carnelian announced, "Now, this next song is for the one and only Sour Cream. And to help me play it, I have a special guest; everybody, please give a round of applause for Ms. Connie Maheswaran!"

Connie stood up with a deep breath and walked forward. The crowd clapped and several cheered for her, everyone warm and positive with a loud and distinct shout of encouragement from Steven that made Connie smile. Once on stage, Connie bowed to the audience, turned, and she and Carnelian bowed to each other. In all, Connie was holding herself together and outwardly showing well, but still… Her heart was still pumping; her knees and shoulders were ever-so-slightly trembling; and then her fingers started locking up. Just then, Carnelian whistled to the young teen to get her attention; with her hand over her 'heart', the red quartz mouthed a simple 'I'm here' and even gave a playful wink as punctuation. Connie giggled as she felt herself now relax, and raised her violin into positon.

Carnelian then announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, to Sour Cream, this is 'G – Blast Version' by Go Shiina."

The song was a kinetic and soaring instrumental with Connie easing into it once the song picked up momentum. Connie managed to match and complement Carnelian, both guitar and violin flying high together. Then, in the middle came the violin solo. Connie's eyes drifted close as she played, the red quartz making all the lights center on her as Connie exquisitely drew the song forward. Soon, they came to the finale; the instrumental proper didn't have a definitive end, so the two of them had fashioned one. The duo played an escalating set of chords, held the last note of the highest one for as long as possible, and finally came to a forceful stop, the last note echoing out. In awe and appreciation, the audience burst into applause and loud cheers.

"Ladies and Gentleman, one more time, Connie Maheswaran!"

Carnelian then stepped to the side to allow Connie the center stage, applauding as well. With every fiber in her still frantically abuzz from the performance, Connie was a little overwhelmed as the crown continued applauding. She bowed to them again, turned again to Carnelian, and bowed to her as well. Carnelian responded in kind and added a smile and a thumbs up to the end. With that, Connie walked and stepped down from the stage. Steven naturally ran up, hugged her, and began gushing about her performance, Connie excitedly bantering right back with her best friend as they went back to the Maheswarans…

Carnelian then said, "Okay, everyone, I'm gonna take a quick 5-minute break. Don't go away; there's more to come."

A few got up for the brief intermission, but those who stayed actually got a little bit of a show. First, Carnelian had to 'change' into a new outfit; she was actually discreetly morphing her attire, but the audience didn't know, so her sudden changes with sparkling flourishes were just another part of the show. Carnelian slicked her hair back save for a prominent forelock near her left eye. She took her arms out of her coat, letting it hang on her shoulders, and connected the top with a small chain to keep it secure. She then stood her guitar and spun it in place to obscure that she was morphing it into acoustic shape. Finally, she took her guitar, sat down on the edge of the stage, dimmed and focused the lights on her for a more intimate feeling, the sun setting just then for wonderful timing.

Carnelian set her guitar in her lap and lowered the mic to her. "Thank you for waiting; we're heading into a more somber section right now, so let's break it down, shall we? This next one goes out to Mrs. Barb Miller: Pearl Jam's Dissident."

The other Gems never expected the music to affect them much. However, this selection of songs proved evocative for them, all the songs reaching them with their appropriateness and relation to their lives in some way or another. This was all helped by Carnelian's heartfelt singing as they were obviously apropos for her as well; she sang, felt, and meant every word.

First, Dissident was a lot closer to being upbeat with a lively melody and a shouting chorus. That did NOT obscure the fact that the song was about a rebel fighter being betrayed by a regretful loved one. Next up, 'for Vidalia', was Nothing Else Matters, a heavy and pained tune of commitment in spite of anguish … with a hint of obsession.

Just as she finished, Carnelian announced, "This next song is 'This Is Gospel' by Panic at the Disco for Ms. Kiki Pizza. Now, there's two versions of this song, but after talking to her, it was fortunate that the slower version was indeed the one requested. So, Kiki Pizza, this is for you."

This is Gospel turned out to be a twinkling introspective on the departed and departing, and Carnelian was understandably affected by it; she felt herself choking up as she played but kept herself singing unbroken throughout it. When she got to the second singing of 'If you love me, let me go', tears began rolling down her cheeks. Then, once she finally got through the whole thing, the audience applauded her as she wiped her tears away.

Then, for Peedee Fryman … came 'The Sound of Silence'. The resonance and connection for the Crystal Gems was simply eerie, Carnelian singing the rougher, more soaring version and expressing every emotion in the song thoroughly and emphatically. One verse even gave them shivers and made them look amongst themselves in disbelief, only amplified by Carnelian engaging in the looks even as she sang…

"And in the naked light I saw/ 10,000 people, maybe more. People talking without speaking/ people hearing without listening/ people writing songs … with voices never shared. And no one dared/ to stir the sound of silence…" Another line also stuck out but for different reasons, Carnelian growling it out and grinding down on it in the back of her throat. "And the people bowed and prayed/ to the neon god they made!"

Carnelian finally brought the song to a close and winded down the last line to a whisper of the last 'silence'. The audience was properly captivated and actually took a moment before applauding…

With another section done, Carnelian took another break, and with another break came another change. She connected her coat around her waist, flipped the top of it off, exposing her arms and shoulders and making her coat into a sort of half-cape. She shook and tousled her hair back into its natural wild state, and twirled her guitar into electric shape. Finally, she brightened the lights once again, and readied her soundboard; she was really going to need the latter.

"Ladies and Gentleman, this is our final stretch; we only have four songs left." The audience gave exaggerated moans of disappointment and started clapping again. Carnelian interjected this time, "Oh, stop; you're all too kind. Fair warning before I begin: these songs are a lot heavier and faster than the ones before, so if you need a buffer or if you prefer not to listen, that's understandable." Several adults and a couple of the older ones took that hint and put in earplugs. Carnelian didn't question oddity, and simply continued, "Okay, this next song is for Jenny Pizza. Now, Jenny…" She spotted Jenny in the crowd and spoke to her directly, "I don't know if you're pranking me or you honestly believe in me, but please understand if this version is a little slower than usual. Also, you all in the front row, if my hands come off during, please just toss them back here, so we can finish, okay? Ladies and Gentleman, this is 'Through the Fire and Flames' by Dragonforce."

Several people in crowd groan and/or sucked in air; they knew what was about to happen. For her part, Carnelian actually had to take a breath and shake and stretch her hands, wrists, and fingers before she could begin. Then, she had to start off with several very fast riffs and ramp up to the song proper. And thus, the speed section of the showcase was underway.

First, 'Through the Fire and Flames' was a ludicrously fast and frantic song, so fast in fact that it was hard to even hear the melody. Apparently, the song also had words, but Carnelian understandably opted against them to focus on the necessary finger and hand acrobatics. It was 6 minutes of blistering, mind-boggling, and chord-shredding work until she finally finished with a powerful riff. The audience applauded the exemplary work, with several of them standing as they clapped including Jenny … but Carnelian then made them laugh by shaking her hands and whistling to elude to the taxing hand work of the song.

Next, 'for Movies Jane' came Living Colour's Cult of Personality. Carnelian noticing Jane and Ronaldo Fryman exchange a knowing look as she began to play. The song itself was a faux-bragging but ultimately rebellious sprawling tune, but the instrumentation seemed rather tame comparatively … until a ripping, triumphant solo at the end. Then, 'for Sadie Miller' came 'Set the World on Fire' by the Black Veil Brides, which proved a very impressive play; Carnelian had two intricate guitar melodies to play and lay over each other, including a much quicker solo in the middle. Again, the Crystal Gems found unexpected aptness in the song with its call of 'We stand tall … Break the chains' and 'Fight for all you know/when you're back's against the wall/Stand against the lions'…

After she finished the song, Carnelian addressed the audience once more, "Everyone, this is the last song, and it's for Mr. Greg Universe because he's awesome and he knows I've been waiting to play this one… I want to again thank you. Everyone who helped me put this together: Greg, Sour Cream, Connie, Steven Universe, all of you… And I want to thank every one of you for coming to listen to me today. You all were incredible, and this is honestly one of the best days of my life. Thank you all so much." The audience clapped in response and reciprocated thanks. "So, finally, Ladies and Gentlemen, this is 'Sky Should Be High' by Daisuke Ishiwatari."

Everyone knew something major was about to happen as Carnelian completely filled her soundboard with several fast and complex riffs. The song was a very fast yet artistically intricate sprawl, and Carnelian sang and played it with relish, verve, and indulgence. She rapidly switched the recorded riffs while matching them with her furious strumming, and sped impressively to the song's shining moment; the tune cut off into an acoustic piece near the end before ramping back up into the song. Carnelian tackled the whole sequence with personal vigor especially the powerful declaration of 'I'll! Ne-ver! Ev-er! Kneel! Down!' and finally hit the song's full stop with an emphatic spike.

The audience enthusiastically applauded, and Carnelian bowed to them in thanks. With her performance finished, Carnelian sent her guitar away and stepped off the stage to the audience. With a few people swarming around her, she thanked them, shook hands with them, and even took pictures with them. After a moment, the red quartz located Connie as people started to leave and approached her…

"Congratulations, Scarlet!" Connie happily exclaimed, "You were incredible!"

Doug added, "Yes, you were very cool. I'm glad we decided to take off to see it."

Priyanka then said, "While most of the music wasn't to my taste, your talent and artistry are undeniable."

"Thank you all so much; I'm glad you both stayed and enjoyed yourselves. And Connie…" Carnelian knelt down closer to her eye level. "Connie, this wouldn't have come off nearly as well without you."

Connie blushed slightly, speaking modestly, "Oh, it was just one song, and I was happy to help."

Carnelian persisted, "Still, you took the time and effort to help me, to rehearse with me, and work with me, even though you had other things to do, even though you didn't have to. To me, that means you more than deserve this…"

Carnelian reached into her coat, the Maheswarans confused about what was about to occur, pulled out and placed in Connie's hands … a significant stack of money! All three Maheswarans' eyes grew wide with shock.

Connie tried to protest, aghast "Scarlet, I can't-"

Carnelian interrupted, "Hold on…"

Carnelian pulled out a second stack of similar size and placed it on top of the first…

Connie protested, only more incredulous now, "Seriously, Scarlet, this—"

Carnelian again interrupted, still digging through her coat, "Wait for it…"

Carnelian pulled out two rolls of assorted bills and placed them with the two stacks, all three Maheswarans rendered speechless…

Carnelian explained, "This is all the currency I've made from this whole endeavor, from what I first started playing in front of the car wash all the way until tonight. I was always going to give you a portion, but most of it was going to Greg. Well, it turns out, Greg's wealthy, and since he's rich, that means Steven's rich too. So … that means everything goes to you."

Connie took a moment to compose herself before she could respond, and finally said as she lifted the money back toward Carnelian, "This is very nice, but there's no way I can accept this. This is yours; you earned this, and I helped you because you're my friend, not to get anything…"

Carnelian placed her hands under Connie's and spoke warmly to her, "Connie, that's why I want you to have this. You… Ever since I got here, you've helped me. You didn't even know me. I'm not even the same species as you. You didn't have any reason to do it, but … you gave me the kindness … the respect … the love and care that I needed, that I never thought I would get, that I didn't deserve. I can't thank you enough for that… And yes, you're smart and responsible, so I know you'll find something good to do with it, but… I'm not just giving this to you as some kind of payment; it's because you're my friend that I'm giving you this."

Connie looked to her parents, seeing the look of pride in their eyes, then turned back to Carnelian with a smile. "Uh, wow, Scarlet. I'm … glad I helped you so much. I promise I'll put this to good use."

Carnelian smiled back. "Like I said, I know you will."

The red quartz then hugged Connie, carefully as the girl's hands were still full, and stood back. The Maheswarans and Carnelian then bid each other farewell, and as the family took their leave, Carnelian overheard Connie talking about investments and savings. The red quartz couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's immediate responsibility…

Carnelian looked around for where they could've gone, and spotted them down near the water, smiling and waving to her, and walked over to them, her gems Sphene, Azurite, and Thulite. The three of them crowded around her, praising and congratulating her. Azurite met her first with a big embrace, they started raving about the show, and soon she was raving right back at them.

Somehow, Steven had lost track of Carnelian in between talking all the others about the show and seeing Connie and her family off. He soon spotted her rather animatedly talking and gesturing … to no one. The other Crystal Gems also noticed around the same time…

"Uh… What is going on there?" Peridot asking, voicing what everyone was thinking.

Steven responded with concern, "I don't know. She doesn't seem upset, but… I'll go check on her"

Steven approached her with the other Crystal Gems following behind but hanging back slightly. Carnelian did calm down slightly, but she was still distracted and preoccupied with whatever was happening right now.

"Hey, Tanzanite." Steven called to her, "How you doin'?"

The red quartz turned to him, and the look in her eyes made Steven flinch. She was looking at him but with a glazed, faraway look, almost as if she were entranced or hypnotized. The blissful, unaware grin on her face was really NOT helping and more than a little unnerving…

"Hi, Steven." Carnelian responded, seemingly unfazed, "Everything okay?"

"I hope so. Tanzanite… Are you okay?"

Carnelian chuckled and said, "Of course, I'm better than okay, excellent even. Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just… You're talking and acting very … excited over here."

"Of course I am. How could I not be after that? I couldn't wait to hear what they thought, what everyone thought."

"Really? And who are they?"

"Ha Ha, very funny, Steven. I'm talking to… I'm talking to…"

That prompt brought Carnelian's consciousness visibly come bubbling back like breaking the surface after being submerged. Carnelian blinked very hard and looked at Steven normally, to the young gem's relief … until obvious horror grew in her eyes next. Carnelian focused on Steven, realized everything she'd just said and felt, and went pale orange with her body going cold and terror on her face. She looked over … and of course Azurite, Sphene, and Thulite weren't there; they never were. She looked back to Steven and sees him and the other Crystal Gems looking very concerned about her. Her fallen teammates felt just as real as they did in life, and this time, her mind did not question it until it was pointed out to her. Carnelian couldn't help feeling she was losing her mind … and now everyone knew it too.

Steven repeated his growing worry, "Tanzanite, is something wrong? Are you going to be okay? Please, tell me."

Looking away for the young gem, Carnelian had to find her voice before she could respond. "Steven … to tell you the truth … I have no idea what just happened to me."

"You were talking to no one, and not the regular kind, like you thought someone was there."

Carnelian tried to stay steady, if for nothing else, for Steven's sake. "Right… Right, well … I'm okay now. I don't know whether it's stress or fatigue or something else, but… I'm okay now."

"Are you sure? If you need help, please tell us."

"No, no, I'm… I'll be fine. Just leave me with it for now. If it comes back, I'll let you know." Carnelian looked at the other gems to indicate the same thing to them.

Still very skeptical, Steven offered, "Well, alright, if you say so. We're going back to the temple; we'll see you there."

"Actually… I think I should go with you now. I already gave Sour Cream his stuff back, and the stage and other stuff can keep until tomorrow."

-XXX-

In the two weeks after the showcase, there were no 'visits' or really any other occurrences, and in the meantime, Carnelian really tried to keep herself pre-occupied most nights … but not tonight. Tonight was wrestling night; Carnelian was in the ring solo with the Purple PumAmethyst in her 'corner' for what was a big event … and Carnelian was the main attraction. According to Smiley, with the red quartz as the main draw, they had the largest ticket sales and gate earnings in the troupe's brief history. The whole place was packed to capacity tonight with quite a few people coming from quite far away. Some people from bigger productions even came to see her, and the guys and girls were helpfully sharing praise for Carnelian to these scouts.

All of this actually caught Carnelian off-guard, with just how much it warmed her heart, but she mostly just enjoyed that so many people had accepted her as one of their own. The event itself went brilliantly, with Amethyst helping Carnelian stay settled throughout but she too simply enjoying the event and seeing her sister successful. As proof, they kept the eager audience engaged, supportive, and helpfully raucous for the duration… 1! 2! 3!

"Here is your winner! And NEW BCW World Champion The Scarlet! Sable!"

The crowd applauded the result as Carnelian was handed her prize, an opulent trophy in the shape of a belt. The title belt itself was very nice if slightly too small, but the most important thing was happening all around her. The whole crowd was clapping and cheering, with seemingly no one leaving or dissatisfied. Amethyst had leapt into the ring as soon as the bell rang and was now jumping up and down and hugging Carnelian; she was so excited she almost slipped out of Purple Puma shape. All the while, Carnelian simply took in the moment; she embraced Amethyst tight around the shoulders, with the audience actually showing appreciation for the show of family togetherness, and whispered many thanks her purple quartz sister, Amethyst whispering praise back.

-X-

Unfazed by the cool breezy beach night around them, Carnelian and Amethyst were still buzzing, laughing, and joking as they headed back to the temple, happy and satisfied as they recounted the event that just happened. When they close, they saw Garnet waiting for them at the bottom of the steps. Steven was definitely asleep by now, so it was understandable the fusion would wait outside the temple.

"Looks like you two had fun." Garnet commented with a grin.

Amethyst exclaimed, pointing to the belt draped over Carnelian's shoulder, "You bet! Check it out! New Champ-ee-own!

"Congratulations…" Garnet said with a chuckle.

"Thanks." Carnelian replied, looking at her trophy, "I'm actually glad I earned this, surprisingly."

"Well, it sounds like your night's already been eventful. Do you think you still have energy to keep going?"

Carnelian responded without hesitation, "Sure, what's going on?"

Garnet explained, "Nothing yet, but I'd like you to go on patrol with me."

"No problem." Carnelian took the belt in her hands and handed it to Amethyst with both hands as if bestowing. "Sis, you mind keeping this with you? Hold it, guard it, keep it safe…?"

Amethyst received the belt. "Of course. You two have fun out there."

With that, the two set off… Carnelian and Garnet soon ended up on the Island, and again Carnelian again was struck by its beauty: its crystalline arches, large opened geode shells, silken streams, and vibrant flora. There's nothing really happening there, so the two sat next to one of it waterfalls and just talked. Interestingly, it gave Carnelian a chance to test a new way she found of getting Garnet to open up a little: she asked Ruby and Sapphire about each other and asked for stories about the two. In response, Garnet was forthcoming but her usual stoic self … until Ruby or Sapphire slipped into gushing about the other. The whole time, Garnet never brought up the incident from two weeks prior, and Carnelian was thankful for that. Eventually…

"Tanzanite… you're one of us now. If you're having a problem, please tell us."

"Of course. The same goes for you all as well with me."

Garnet put a hand of support on Carnelian's shoulder. "We're here for you, no matter what."

-X-

After the event with Amethyst and hanging out with Garnet afterward, Carnelian headed out the next day with Pearl, at Pearl's request, and so they ended up in the strawberry battlefield. It was a lovely sight, rolling hills covered in lush green shrubs dotted with ripe red fruits. Weapons were planted atop several hills and were now enveloped by the overgrowth. The whole are seemed suspended in constant sunset that painted the sky a muted pink. In the distance, there were floating islands with huge hanging roots underneath, as if they'd been ripped out of the ground and hung in midair.

Carnelian was in awe of this place and asked to know more about it. Pearl, thus prompted, launched into lavish, almost mythic retellings of the battles here, all of them with her beloved Rose Quartz at the center. Carnelian found herself captivated simply by Pearl's reverence and rapture over it all. Eventually, when Pearl paused to take a breath after another tale, Carnelian picked up on something…

"Seems like this was a regular conflict spot." Carnelian looked at the planted weapons differently now. "That sure is a lot of death here."

"Yes… Yes, there is…" Pearl's voice and attitude took a downturn as she registered the observation. "I'm sorry. I get carried away here because this place reminds me of Rose and all the incredible things she could do and that she did. Then, I remember all the pain and suffering that occurred here, that we suffered, that we heaped on others… That wanes my pride in it all a great deal."

"I understand; I feel the same about many of my battles especially with corrupted…" Carnelian looked around the strawberry fields again. "It's truly a shame too; this place is so beautiful, only to be stained with tragedy."

"Well… There is something we can do; it's kind of why I asked you here today."

"Oh?" Carnelian watched as Pearl walked a little ways away.

Pearl suddenly turned back to her more bashful and fidgety, although, rather than being anxiety, she actually being coquettish. "Well, I was hoping… if you didn't have other plans… and if you were willing…" Pearl then offered her hand. "Would you please fuse with me?"

Carnelian gave Pearl a smoldering, half-lidded smirk, and took Pearl's hand. The two engaged in a light playful waltz, Pearl giggling when Carnelian dipped her, until Carnelian twirled Pearl back into her arms. A large bloom of light naturally followed, morphed into shape, and … Rubellite was back.

Steven warped to the strawberry battlefield looking for a specific person. Something was weighing on his mind … something that was always in his mind. It came and went often but now it was looming large within him lately. There was a key difference now, however: now there was someone with insight and maybe … answers. The young gem looked all around, only to see no one. Garnet said that she was definitely here but there was no sign of her. Steven only heard faint music and so went in that direction.

"Tanzanite?!" Steven called out. "Tanzanite?"

The music was getting louder, so he was getting closer, and he came to recognize the instrument being played as one used a lot in Lonely Blade. Very soon, he finally came upon an impossible-to-miss occupant: Rubellite, sitting cross-legged, eyes closed in obvious peace and contentment. She was playing an interesting kind of Asian harp, picking the strings like a guitar but it laid flat in Rubellite's lap, with the music produced being more ethereal and dream-like. Steven immediately went starry-eyed and grew a wide smile.

"Rubellite! You're back!" Steven exclaimed, overjoyed.

Rubellite looked up and sent her koto away when she saw him. "Oh, Steven. My little gem."

Steven ran up and hugged the fusion, just able to get her kneecap. Rubellite, in turn, very gently and tenderly put her hand on his back and laid a very small kiss on top of his head, a small kiss from her still touching his entire head.

"I'm so happy to see you again. Is everything okay?"

Rubellite gave a small laugh. "Everything is just fine. I'm just enjoying a lovely day. How are you doing? What brings you out here?"

"I was looking for…" Steven then remembered why he came to this place and thought differently of it. "You know what? It's okay. It's not that important."

"It was important enough for you to come all this way… Steven, if it's important at all to you, then it's important to me."

"Well, I was looking for Tanzanite, but you're here. I can always talk to her later."

Rubellite giggled. "Tanzanite is here… Go on, Steven; I'm listening, sweetie."

Steven's voice and attitude turned heavy. "It's… It's kinda personal … and kinda painful. It might upset Pearl too, and I don't want to hurt her."

Rubellite's voice lightened as Pearl came forward. "It would hurt me more if you couldn't come to me with something. Anything you say to Carnelian, you can say to me. I'll be fine, so please talk to me."

Steven hesitantly nodded, and Rubellite scooped him up onto her lap, making a 'nest' with hands with the larger hands under him and the smaller hands surrounding him. Steven sat down and took a deep, skipping breath as he tried to calm himself. He tried to combat the tightness in his back and body, a growing heat all over him, and a tingling discomfort in his hands and feet from nervousness. Finally, he prepared to let it out with no idea what reaction he would result.

"Well, Tanzanite… It's about my mom. It's … something I've been thinking about a lot lately. I can't ask her and… I know you can't give me a perfect answer. But you're a quartz like she was, and Pearl and Garnet and Amethyst even say you remind them of her sometimes. So… Maybe you can … give me an answer that's … 'close', I guess?" Steven paused again to compose himself and press the pain in his chest down. "What I want to know is why. Why did she have me? What did she want? What did she think I could do? Why… Why would she give up everything and everyone … so I could be?"

Rubellite wanted to cry, Pearl and Carnelian moved to tears as well, their little one's feelings striking right into their hearts. They never knew he felt this way, this doubt, suffered this pain… They were just as upset at themselves for not noticing sooner. Still, they had a question to answer. Rubellite scoured her mind about something they'd never considered before, looking for reasoning or a thought process. Soon, the fusion found a thread and decided to follow it…

Rubellite's voice deepened slightly as Carnelian came forward, and answered, somber and thoughtful, "Well, Steven… Like you said, I can't really speak for Rose Quartz personally one-to-one, but I'll do my best to get you close… You see, from the time we're seeded to the time we emerge to the time we stop, us quartzes are told we are warriors; we're conquerors; we're ravagers; we're … destroyers. We're … supposed to be killers. But your mother… From what I know of her methods to her powers—she uses a shield, generates impenetrable bubbles, cried healing tears, you give healing kisses—to her very essence, she was a caregiver, a protector, a lover. And to be told every day for many millennia that suffering's all you're good for, I can only imagine … how painful that must have been.

So, she rebelled. And, because she didn't want anyone else to feel how she did … she convince many gems to go with her. But then … the war. So many gems on both sides were cracked and shattered, and then most of the survivors fell to the corruption. After all she fought for and all she believe in, in the end it only led to more destruction. That would be very harsh for her to think of herself by the way; the love, the inspiration, the hope she gave, and the chance to be free are all worth fighting and dying for … but I doubt that gave her much solace as she and the others picked up the pieces…

But then … she found out that you were possible, that she could make the process happen and someone as good as you would be the result, so … when she found a human she loved and circumstances were right … she did it; she finally managed to actually give life, instead of take it away… And it was you! And she didn't give anything up; she gave it all to you. Every time you love yourself, that's her loving you too. Every time you love Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst, that's her loving them too. Every time you love Greg, that's her love for him too. You reaching out to Peridot and Lapis meant the same as if she welcomed them herself.

As for what she wanted … she wanted you." Tears began flowing from Rubellite's right eye. "You are already your mother's wildest hopes and dreams, just by being you. Everything you've accomplished and everything you will do is already more than her greatest expectations. She gave everything she had and everything she could because she loves you and always will. And we all love you too and always will."

His eyes wide, tears streaming down his cheeks, Steven spoke, touched, "Wow. I… Thank you. I hope… I think you're right. I'm glad I asked."

Rubellite then noticed her own tears. "Oh, Pearl… It's okay; I just… I always suspected, but hearing it, saying it aloud. It…" Rubellite sighed as she wiped her eye. "Thank you for letting me stay; I feel a little better too." The fusion then got herself together again. "So, was that good? Are you feeling better, Steven?"

"So much better." Steven said, wiping his eyes, "Thank you … Rubellite."

Rubellite lovingly replied, "My pleasure, sweetheart."

Rubellite lifted him and gave him another small kiss. Steven kissed her cheek in return, and hugged her head, to the fusion's delight.

-XXX-

Gathered in the barn, Peridot and Carnelian were putting the finishing touches on the machine, the red quartz helping the technical gem in her own way: lifting the machine so Peridot could work under it, holding things close that needed soldering, clamping things that needed to be closed, and things of that nature. Peridot was just making a few final adjustments on the inner workings…

"And … done. In theory as least. Now, to activate and test it."

Lapis, who had been standing by watching the whole time, then spoke up, "Hold on. I think Steven should be here when we fire it up for the first time proper."

Carnelian added, "Yeah, imagine the look on his face…"

"Hmm… I hate giving presentations without proper beta testing beforehand…" Peridot said, slightly miffed. However, she then saw the excitement of the other two and relented, "Bur there are other ways to test it without a full startup."

Lapis then offered, "Great. I'll get everyone."

With that, Lapis flew off as Peridot and Carnelian started manual diagnostics… Soon, all the Crystal Gems had gathered in the Barn, with Carnelian and Peridot in front of the now-covered machine…

Peridot started, "To our fellow Crystal Gems, Carnelian and I have a special instrument to show you, the newest implement in our ongoing fight against the corruption."

On cue, Carnelian stepped aside and pulled the sheet away to oohs, aahs, and whistles…

Steven said, optimistic and encouraging as always, "This is pretty cool, you guys. So, what does it do?"

Carnelian pointed out, "Well, that's the most important part. This is a rejuvenation machine, the same as a rejuvenation room but able to bring a poofed or injured gem back to a full health in a third—"

"A sixth!" Peridot quickly corrected.

Carnelian looked at Peridot in pleasant surprise before changing her statement. "—a sixth of the time. This gives us a second means of recovery, so we don't have to lean on Steven as much. But that's not the best thing or most important reason we brought it to you. Peridot…"

Peridot visibly perked up as she took over the explanation, "Yes. We just completed an upgrade to this machine that allows it to run full, intensive diagnostics on any gem including internal imaging of a gem's makeup in real time."

Connie inquired, "Wait, so we can see what's going on inside a gem?! And we use it on one of the corrupted…"

Steven let out a deep gasp as he realized, "We actually see what the corruption does to them! Then, we can find a way to help them!"

As expected, Steven was overjoyed, running up and hugging Carnelian's leg then hugging Peridot tightly about the neck. Lapis was overjoyed simply at seeing Steven so happy. Pearl looked to Garnet with hope, and when Garnet smiled and nodded back, her heart leapt…

When Steven finally let go of Peridot, Carnelian continued, "Now, we ran some tests, and it is operational, but we wanted to save the first time we brought it online … for you."

"Finally!" Peridot exclaimed. She then went over to the machine's console and started typing and flipping switches. "Now, stand back … and prepare to be impressed."

The Regen machine soon buzzed to life with a rising tone and a rhythmic set of beeps, clicks, and hums. It then lit up and started showing many electric graphs and readings and stats. Meanwhile, the Crystal Gems didn't notice another machine coming to life. In a pile with the others in a corner of the barn, one of the eyes blinked to life and started looking around… The Crystal Gems looked in awe at the new device … until it suddenly started blaring an alarm. All its lights turned red and began strobing, and a map on screen showed a pulsing circle, indicating a presence…

Amethyst asked for everyone, "What's going on? Why's it freaking out?"

Pearl asked as well, "Peridot, what does that alarm mean?"

Peridot answered, not looking back from working at her screen, "It's an alarm for corrupted gem activity, specifically when one is nearby."

Amethyst called her whip. "What?! Where?!"

Peridot said, "That's what I'm trying to decipher… It's indicating that it's coming from inside the barn." Everyone was alerted and started looking around. "Trying to pinpoint its location, and…"

Peridot stopped and looked around until she saw Carnelian… She slowly turned back to machine and started typing again… Only more confused, Peridot slowly looked at Carnelian again, and this time, the red quartz noticed…

Peridot hesitantly reported, "It's reading that the corrupted gem is standing where you're standing … Carnelian."

Carnelian let a disappointed groan. "Well, that feature was a cool idea, but looks like it was a wash."

Peridot argued, "No, it's saying you're the corrupted gem."

Carnelian argued back, "And, I'm obviously not. That means the machine must be wrong."

Peridot persisted, "No. We both checked it multiple times, its inner workings, its connections, everything, and we both know there's nothing wrong with it."

Carnelian bristled, "But that's impossible. Alright, look, you said Jasper got corrupted when she fused with a corrupted gem, right?" She then turned to the others. "Pearl? Amethyst? I've fused with both of you a bunch of times now. Do you feel any different?"

Pearl said quickly, starting to worry, "No, I'm completely fine."

Really not liking where this was going, Amethyst said, "Yeah, I'm all good; a little freaked out by what's happening right now."

Peridot grew troubled by the argument and her findings. "I'm not saying it makes sense. But I've double and triple checked its findings, re-ran its search, and checked again. It's definitely detecting _something_ from you. Sure, there are multiple anomalies in its configuration, but it's definitely the same signature."

Carnelian was getting worried now. "No, it… It can't be. How? When could it…?"

Carnelian quickly tried to recall everything she'd done in recent memory, and even started thinking all the way back to her Homeworld service. Then, she recalled a seemingly innocuous occurrence before she left … while she was meeting White Pearl. She looked at the others in stunned shock, making the rest of the Crystal Gems very worried now.

During the whole deliberation, something else was afoot. The reactivated eye scanned the surrounding gems, located and identified Carnelian. It then drew a specific, hidden gun and took aim! Garnet quickly realized something was wrong, looked over, saw the eye preparing to attack, and ran over … a moment too late. The eye fired just as she got there. CRUNCH! Garnet smashed the gun and then the eye.

"UGH! What in the…!" Carnelian looked around, irritated and offended, for whatever hit her in the back.

With the Crystal Gems looking back and forth between them, Steven called out, "Tanzanite, are you okay?"

Carnelian clenched her eyes and rubbed her forehead in seeming ache. "Steven, I'm fine… I'm always … taking things … that aren't mine."

Very alarmed now, Amethyst asked, "Uh, Carnelian … are you okay? You're scaring us now."

Her eyes still closed and rubbing the back of her head, Carnelian was speaking clearly and normally but was terrifyingly unintelligible, "Connie, there's no reason … to bring things forward … especially when no one heard … their footsteps the first time."

The Crystal Gems were definitely terrified now. Carnelian finally opened her eyes again … with a very confused look which quickly transitioned into one of pure terror, even though she was not looking at anyone. Slowly, she started nodding … when her eyes rolled back into her head. She went completely rigid, fell back, and hit the ground with a terrible thud. Her whole body constricted and seized so forcefully that she was trembling. The back of her head repeatedly slammed against the floor. An unholy groan of pain and effort was crushed out of her.

The Crystal Gems all rushed over and knelt by her sides, and tried to help … but they couldn't. They called to her, but she couldn't hear. They couldn't hold her because she was still powerful enough to crush them if they got caught. They couldn't turn her over to reach her gem. Eventually, the episode seemed to pass, and Carnelian went limp from fatigue, her body so spent that shoe couldn't but relax. The Crystal Gems were frightened and frantically trying to revive her, but Carnelian laid motionless, her eyes left in a half-lidded vacant stare.

To Be Continued…

 _ **A/N:**_ **…? …! …?!**


	11. Revival

_Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, or its characters. Rebecca Sugar, however, is free to use my characters and/or storyline if she so chooses…_

 _ **A/N:**_ **Wait…? What…?**

Steven Universe: Crystallize Red

Revival

Carnelian felt off but she only thought it an irritant. She had only closed her eyes for a moment after all, like flickering a light switch off and on, just a blink of an eye. However, she feel something amiss with her physical form: She shook her head as her vision was blurry. She realized her body felt quite tense. She had a sharp pain in the back of her head as if she'd hit it on something. She then tried to get her bearings and then realized … she somehow was now on the floor.

The red quartz sat up … to see all the Crystal Gems kneeling around her. Every one of them was visibly shaken and terrified. A second before, they were talking frantically but they all stopped and looked when they noticed her sitting up. Steven and Connie were in tears, with Pearl and Amethyst verge of crying themselves. Peridot had been rapidly talking through multiple solutions before. Lapis was right next to her and apparently was holding her hand. Garnet had her visor up and, unexpectedly, was just as visibly worried as everyone. They all seemed to be holding their breath and waiting to hear from her. This all lead to just one conclusion…

"Something … bad just happened, didn't it?" Carnelian asked, very confused and a little scared.

Connie composed herself enough to explain, "You … had a seizure, or some kind of gem equivalent. None of us have ever seen one before, and I've only ever read about it. We … didn't know how to help you or if we even could…"

Lost and definitely scared now, Carnelian reacted. "W-What?! I… That happened just now?"

Pearl nodded and spoke shakily and upset, "Yes; it was horrible. You falling, shaking, suffering…"

Amethyst asked with concern, "Red, do you remember what happened right before?"

"No, I… I just closed my eyes for a second, and now I'm here…" Carnelian looked around, saw the small crater in the ground behind. She then felt the back of her head and knew then that she'd made it.

Garnet lowered her visor and said gravelly, "That was much too unusual. Tanzanite, if there's anything you can tell us … now is the time."

"I'm just as lost as you all, Garnet… But there are things I should come clean about:" Carnelian was nervous to finally be revealing this but her fear for her life overwhelmed any anxiety. "As you all saw, I've been … hearing things and now seeing things." The others all nodded nervously. "Right; well… It's been happening for a while now, ever since … I got here."

With exasperation born of worry, Peridot exclaimed, "With all due respect, Carnelian, did you not think that was extremely pertinent information?!"

Carnelian bristled, also born of fear. "We didn't know each other then. What was I supposed to say? 'Hi. I know you don't know me, and I'm a big, scary Quartz and all, but don't worry; I'm also hallucinating and hearing voices'?"

Lapis pointed out while trying to stay sympathetic, "Well, we all know now, and we're only more terrified now."

Carnelian could only shake her head while she elaborated, "Right… At first, it was small, just whispers and mistaking Lapis and Peridot for a split second. Then, I started hearing them clearly, I talked to them … and they actually started answering. It was never anything I didn't already know or could've worked out. So, I thought it was just me using their voices. But now … whenever it happens … I swear they're there. I can sense them there, hear them, see them… I can feel them…"

Steven rushed over and hugged Carnelian around the neck, terror and tears in his voice. "Tanzanite… Are you going to be okay? Please be okay…"

Carnelian hugged him back, trying and failing to comfort him and herself. "I don't know, sweetheart. I honestly just don't know… Peridot? The machine says I'm corrupted?"

Peridot somberly confirmed, "The readings hold steady, yes."

"Well, it's lucky the machine is done, and we have the best healer in gemkind here… Looks like I just became our first test subject." Carnelian got up on her knees, separated from Steven, took his hands in hers, and looked into his eyes. "Take care of me, okay, Steven?"

Steven steadied himself with a sniff. "I will. I promise."

Carnelian smiled and lightly kissed his forehead. "I know you will; that's why I'm not so worried… See you soon."

With that, Carnelian glowed and retreated into her gem, her precious stone falling delicately into Steven's hands. Everyone gathered around and watched intently as Steven brought her over to the now-prepped and idling machine. A panel on its front rolled up to reveal a cushioned holding spot, and, with a nod of confirmation from Peridot, Steven gently placed Carnelian's gem in place. Peridot started typing away, and multiple waves of soft light washed over Carnelian's gem by the machine. A following chorus of beeps indicated something positive was occurring.

Several holographic screens activated on the machine's top to relay information. One of them was showing was some kind of inner workings: naturally a gradient of red throughout, it was comprised of red 'veins' with streaks of lights traveling up and down them. The 'veins' themselves also flowed and traveled in every which way. However, Peridot's reaction to this screen clued to the others that something was off."

"Well, that … is unexpected." Peridot commented, astonished.

Connie then picked up on something. "Hold on; Peridot, I think I can help."

The others looked at her as Steven asked for everyone, "You know about this, Connie?"

Connie explained as she stepped forward, "Well, kind of. My mom's been bringing home CAT-scans and x-rays since I was little, and she's had me studying them for as long as I can remember. It's not exactly the same, but I do know how to read things like this."

"It's worth a shot." Garnet chimed in. "Now, Peridot, why did you say Carnelian looks odd?"

"Well, let me show you."

Peridot typed away some more, and two more screens appeared side-by-side with the screen of Carnelian's makeup, these showing two other gem's inner workings, one green and one blue. While the shape and structures were different, they too were also made of veins with streaks of light traveling inside, the green one's lights going quite fast. However … the veins in the blue and green gems were completely motionless…

Peridot explained, "These are what Lapis and I look like, internally. See the difference?"

"So, she moves." Lapis commented, "What could that mean?"

Connie puzzled out aloud, "Well, usually, that fluidity suggests … constant change or maybe adaptability…?"

Pearl asked, "That would explain how she learned and got comfortable so fast. But, why would Homeworld allow a gem that adapts and changes? That kind of autonomy would definitely be seen as a threat."

Amethyst chimed in, "Peri, you said they're running out of resources out there, right? Maybe they weren't so hot on making gems only do one thing anymore? Maybe they let her go to see what happens…"

Garnet then pointed out, "If that is true, I would say it backfired on them, in more than a few ways, and to our benefit."

Peridot began typing away again. "Let's just focus on one mystery at a time for now. We have to find our diagnosis.

The two side screens disappeared, and the focus returned to Carnelian. The perspective on Carnelian's makeup was pulled back and shifted into the center. Then, something came into view, and the Crystal Gems gasped and recoiled upon seeing it: a large greyish obstruction with a faint ring around it was rooted in the midst of Carnelian's inner workings along with a second smaller one to the side of it. It was an opaque, chaotic disruption, resembling some kind of drastic weather pattern on a planet surface. The red quartz's makeup miraculously seemed to be flowing around or away from them. It was an undeniably troubling sight…

Garnet lifted her visor again as Pearl commented under her breath, "Oh my stars… That's horrible."

"Geez, Red…" Amethyst said with a wince.

Shaken, Steven stammered, "That's… That's what it is?"

Peridot was almost listless with shock. "That … seems to be the source, yes."

Looking closer, Connie pointed out, "Look at this: this ring here… I think I recognize it; it looks older and faded. That suggests there was something here before this one … or maybe she … got rid of it or somehow healed it once before."

Amethyst reacted incredulously, "Are you serious? She had it and cured it once already? How?!"

Garnet realized aloud, "The injector… Steven, you healed her after she was cracked by the injector."

"I … did. I did!" Steven lit up. "So, I _can_ heal the corruption."

"Hold on, Steven. We need to be sure." Peridot said, having not stopped typing, reading, or analyzing, "There are still a lot of anomalies with this affliction, hers in particular. This could even be a different type of corruption. For one, the first time was subtle but this time was much more violent."

Lapis looked over at the recently-broken eye. "That shot… Could that have done it?"

Peridot answered, not looking up from the screen, "Probably. Although if that is it, it seems less like it re-corrupted her, and more like it … strengthened the original or caused it to re-occur and a lot faster, hence the more drastic reaction."

Connie then pointed out, "But look at how her gem reacts: it's completely avoiding or operating around it, so it looks like her adaptability is literally a life-saver. With this type of affliction, she can't do it forever, but it definitely bought her time. Still, everything still flows through the smaller one regardless."

Lapis then asked, "What _is_ that second one? The smaller one, is that corruption too?"

Peridot explained, "No, but unfortunately, I know what it is: that's a status tracker, unobtrusive, remote, and long-range."

Lapis exclaimed, "They're tracking her? Wait! Does that mean they were watching us this whole time?!"

Peridot quickly responded, "Oh no, no. It's far too basic for that. It has exclusive focus on a single gem. Although…" Peridot typed faster as she double-checked her deduction. "Yes, as I thought, this one's been modified. Specifically, it can receive signals as well as send them."

Pearl asked, "What? Why would they have a tracker receive messages? What could they possibly want to send?"

Peridot could only shake her head…

Steven finally asked, "If I heal her, and it takes these things out, Tanzanite will be okay, right?"

Peridot confirmed, "Most definitely; she shouldn't suffer any ill effects from their removal."

Steven responded, "Then, let's do it. Could you turn the rejuvenation part on too, please? Just in case…"

"It shouldn't have much effect after your powers work, but okay."

Peridot activated the machine's rejuvenation capabilities, and Carnelian's gem reacted; her 'veins' faintly glowed and flowed faster, the traveling lights within them going steady. Steven licked both hands as he stepped forward and touched and kissed Carnelian's gem all at once. The result was unexpected wonderful: a pink glow grew all through Carnelian, but then it seemed to absorb the machine's power and glowed even brighter, almost too bright to look at! Both disruptions rapidly shrunk until they disappeared, and Carnelian's quickly closed back to normal, the rose-colored shine actually remaining for a few moments afterward. Finally, the machine played a short cheerful tone to signal completion.

Crystal Gems continued holding their breaths as the machine powered down. Steven carefully extracted Carnelian's gem and put her down, everyone backing away to give her some space. Almost immediately, the gem glowed, and a large humanoid figure of light grew and took shape. Finally, the light burst away to reveal Carnelian completely revived. The red quartz slowly blinked her eyes open and looked around. Something had definitely changed; something vaguely behind her, a feeling or vibe that was barely noticeable before, was now gone with her only now recognizing it with its absence.

Steven tentatively asked, "Tanzanite… Are you okay? How do you feel?"

Thinking and feeling herself out, Carnelian verbally explored. "I feel … empty? No, that's not the right word. I feel … clear … light… I feel … free." Steven finally smiled and hugged her legs, and the red quartz reciprocated, scooping him up and hugging him close. "This is the third time you've saved my life. I'll never be able to repay you, you know."

Steven replied into her hair, "You don't have to repay me. I'm just happy you're okay."

Carnelian kissed him on the cheek. "Oh, you're so wonderful."

Carnelian put the young gem down, and the Crystal Gems finally began to relax…

Pearl said, "Thank the stars! This ordeal is resolved, and we even have some headway on the corruption."

Carnelian then responded, "Actually… We may have more than that…" All the others looked at her in confusion. "I… I think I know what the corruption could be…"

Everyone's eyes went wide… They all found seats, Steven and Connie sitting up close, and all faced Carnelian, getting comfortable to hear this…

Garnet said, "Alright, Tanzanite, what have you figured out?"

Carnelian relayed, "It has to do with White Diamond and her … 'song'. When you told me how this all started, it all sounded very familiar, but I couldn't figure out why or where I heard it. But going into my gem and relaxing for the first time since my desertion, it all came flooding back... It started out a rumor, some scary story whispered around the colonies. It was: if you dissented or had doubts, White Diamond would 'sing' you a 'song'; the next thing there would be a flash; and you'd never be seen again. I only got snippets of it; any time I or any of my team would ask more about it, the teller would recognize us and shut right down. It's been centuries since I've thought about it, but … the ones I heard the first rumors from, I never did see them again…

But the rumors spread, and so did this for a little while. Then, suddenly, a new 'story', a kind of 'legend' really, started going around: every now and then, White Diamond would hand-select certain gems, important or skilled or those she deemed worthy, and she would sing them a special 'song'. Listening to it would mark you as her 'chosen', and you would become so close to her, you would forget you were separate. You would do what she wanted without thinking; you would know her commands before she gave them; you would know her desires automatically. You would completely lose yourself in her 'glory'… A bright white light, a song, and just disappearing without even a shard…"

Everyone was justifiably, visibly troubled by this revelation. Pearl's hands found and covered her mouth while Garnet had her arms crossed as she contemplated. Peridot remained steady but couldn't hide she was now an even paler green. Amethyst tried to stop herself from trembling while Lapis was curled up in her chair. Steven was horrified speechless. Connie was the first to recover enough to speak.

"So, it sounds like… You think it might be some kind of … mind control or … brainwashing?"

Carnelian slowly shook her head in contemplation. "Possibly. What I know is… When I was in my gem, I could feel it … 'pulling' at me, trying to erode me, like … it was trying to break me apart who I was."

Still ashen, Pearl attempted to ease herself by deciphering. "That's a helpful perspective, and it does make sense as a cerebral wipe and a cerebral break are not dissimilar. Still, there's a large difference between erasing a single gem at a time and the widespread attack we witnessed."

Garnet grimly added, "If Carnelian's correlation is correct, and I don't think she's far off, and the corruption comes from a type of song… Songs can be modified, sped up, slowed down, extended, cut short…"

With that, Carnelian thought of something, looked around and spotted a book in a nearby box. She went, grabbed it up, and sat back down. "No one needs this, right?" Everyone shook her head in the negative. "Okay, what about this? Say this is our minds: this spine holds it together. If the stories are true, then singing the song would be like tearing the spine out and replacing it with the Diamonds. You're still together but changed. Then, what if the corruption is from changing the song or maybe stopping halfway? If you take the support away and don't replace it…"

To demonstrate, Carnelian ripped the spine of the book away and let the now-disconnected cover and pages drop and flutter down.

"They fall apart…" Steven commented in a hush.

Silence fell over all the gems as they contemplate and absorb everything, Carnelian taking the time to pick up the remains of the destroyed book. Very soon, they all agreed that they had had enough crisis for one time and went their separate ways for the day…

-XX-

Two weeks had passed since she'd been cured, and Carnelian felt excellent. On this day, Steven, Connie, and Carnelian were out warp-pad hopping, with the quartz meant to keep the two occupied. Garnet, Pearl, and Peridot were working on a 'special project', and Garnet stressed it was very important and urgent. While that proclamation definitely put the red quartz on edge, being with the two teens always made Carnelian very happy, and so she agreed to be their venturing partner. Eventually, they found themselves at the Injector ruins as they simply enjoyed each other's company. Very soon, Stevonnie was there with big hugs for their quartz 'aunt', but there was one topic the fusion needed to address.

"Scarlet Tanzanite… Are you okay? Steven and Connie are still shaken up, and … it even scared me when I wasn't here…. You're going to okay, right?"

"Stevonnie… come here a sec; there's something I need to tell you…" The two faced each other, and Carnelian gently laid her hands on the fusion's shoulders, looking into their eyes. "Yes I'm going to be fine. I got a … really bad scare there, but I got through it, thanks to all three of you. It reminded me of everything and everyone I are about and … I really thought about you a lot. I know I haven't been here as long and I know you've already got families, but … you really make me feel like you're my kids too." Carnelian felt herself starting to tear up but kept herself together. "So, I just really needed to tell you, to just say aloud to you: Steven, Connie, Stevonnie … you all are so special to me. I love you all so much."

Touched and giddy with a host of emotions, Stevonnie could only respond with more hugs to Carnelian… They didn't keep track of how long they were together, but the bliss didn't last. Suddenly, there was an indistinct buzzing in the air, an odd yet familiar disturbance. Whatever it was, it was large. Both looked up and saw something coming, and Carnelian realized very quickly what it was…

Carnelian urgently directed, "Stevonnie, you need to get the others now!"

Stevonnie nervously asked, "What's going on? What is that?"

"A ship! You have to get everyone back here and fast."

"I can't leave you here alone."

"The faster you go, the faster you get back. Go!"

With no time to spare, Stevonnie took off as fast as they could and disappeared through the warp pad. Carnelian quickly ducked behind a nearby downed ring to get a very good look at what was coming to threaten them…

Out of the sky descended a pointed prism-shaped ship, a White Diamond standard issue. It touched down, and a door fell down into a ramp. First one out of ship … White Pearl, a short cape over her shoulders added to her flowing attire and a tall scepter in hand! She then stepped slightly off to the side to allow whomever was behind her to exit as well. Next came a tall broad-shouldered pink and white gem with thick, long, rounded locks, a thick leathery apron on her front, red goggles up on her forehead, and her gem on her left bicep. Then, there was a small green gem with yellow speckles all over, her hair styled into an arrowhead shape with its points ending in bolt zigzags, and a yellow visor over her eyes and her gem in her forehead. This one was hovering and flying in a rocket-powered 'chair' shaped like an egg with the top missing. Finally, a deep blue gem emerged, her hair ending in the back in a large tight curl like a closed flower bud. She wore a corset dress with a flaring skirt that hugged her midsection while leaving her shoulders bare, and had her feet bare. Her gem was right in the center of her chest, over her 'heart'. Carnelian was stricken with complete shock…

…

…

It was Thulite … Sphene … and Azurite…

End Chapter

 _ **A/N:**_ **There you have it. Thank you for reading and I hope you liked it. There was a lot of theory in this one, and I hope you liked it, or at least understood it. If this contradicts something in the show, feel free to let me know. Anyway we have … 2 … chapters … left. So please come back for more. Thank you once again, and as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.**


	12. Break Me Down Again

_Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, its characters, or its plots. Rebecca Sugar however is free to use my characters and/or storylines if she so pleases…_

 _ **A/N:**_ **Hello, fellow readers and writers. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy it. It's been a while, too long really, and I apologize. We're getting near the ending now, with the climax now upon us. There's a lot of action in this one, and pretty much from here on out, so I hope you find it exciting. Well, it's been rough getting the time for this, so let's get to it before I run out of time again. And here … we … go:**

Steven Universe: Crystallize Red

Break Me Down … Again

Their routine was unmistakable. Thulite ran forward and produced a mechanism from her gem, setting it and starting it up, with the machine sending out a thrumming set of beats into the ground. Sphene drove in her rocket chair into open space and began pressing buttons and activating a small satellite receptor to emerge, going back to typing once again. Azurite meanwhile was taking deliberate steps, digging her heels in and flexing her toes over the dirt under her. She reached down, grabbed two handfuls of ground, and felt it thoroughly as she stood back up…

Thulite reported her machine's findings, "I'm picking up a vast multitude of complete structures on this planet, however none of them are within several dozen miles of here. Also, it seems, based on the modifications to this area's foundations, there used to be multiple buildings in this spot. Sadly, none of them are salvageable; there doesn't seem to be any of them left."

Sphene reported her findings next, "Okay, the native species here does seem surprisingly advanced. They do have a planet-wide electronic networking system, and they quite well-developed technology. However, their infighting is just as widespread, with their electronic network being particularly filled with unnecessary vitriol."

Morphing and manipulating the ground into various shapes, Azurite said, "Hmm… Quite durable yet surprisingly malleable. High potential and high versatility… Very accommodating to plant life… I can do just about anything here."

Carnelian looked at them in wide-eyed shock, complete all-encompassing disbelief so thorough that she still hadn't felt the full force of it yet. While unable to peel her eyes away, she reached for the glass of shards in her pocket, grasped it … and she already felt that the weight was different. She slowly pulled it out as her dread skyrocketed. She slowly opened her hand and sees … the glass completely empty save for some dust! There was nothing inside … and there never was anything in it!

Looking into the sky toward Homeworld, White Pearl spoke with melancholy, "My beloved Diamond… I'm so far away from you… Your light is so faint within me … it's almost as if you're not there at all… I may not even be able to address any potential threats…" She then stood motionless with a long, silent pause. Finally, faintly, White Pearl said, "Then, I recommend you work quickly, Pearl." She then turned her attention to Sphene and Thulite. "How long will these repairs take?"

Sphene reported as she and Thulite went to work on the Injector, "It's hard to say, ma'am. Whoever worked on this did an exceptional job of bricking it. Undoing the damage will be a significant challenge."

Thulite added, "Calculated actions and component removal is extensive. Replacement and recalibration will need to be done correctly or else it will remain non-operational."

Sphene continued, "All things considered, I'd say 25-30 minutes will be required, if we work as quickly and efficiently as possible."

White Pearl flatly said, "You need to finish in a third of that time."

As Thulite audibly slipped, Sphene objected, "A third?! With all due respect, that's preposterous with a machine this vast and intricate and, with these many systems, we have to give it the utmost care. We have to fix everything perfectly, and with the limited resources we brought with us, we will only have one chance."

White Pearl faced Sphene, and radiated menace even though her tone and posture didn't change. "We are isolated and vulnerable in this place. I am too far from my Diamond for any sort of comfort. You have a third of the time. Now, you both are supposed to be the two best technicians in White Diamond's domain. If you're saying you can't do it … then I wonder about what necessity there is in keeping you both whole."

Sphene and Thulite looked to each other, could only nod to White Pearl, and got back to work, much fast this time… Suddenly, a piercing, screaming alarm filled the area. Azurite, Thulite, and Sphene's gems began glowing and pulsing with light, and they all reacted with unfazed familiarity … until they remembered the reason for that familiarity. All three were struck frozen as they touched their gems to deactivate their signal. Only Azurite could muster the courage to look; the deep blue gem looked around and … she saw her. Carnelian slowly walked out into view, transfixed as she looked at them, and approached with the same thunderstruck and seeing-a-ghost look of shock and horror as the three of them. White Pearl soon also saw Carnelian but less moved…

"Carnelian … you survive still." White Pearl said matter-of-factly, "Your resilience would be admirable, if it weren't so troublesome."

"What. Is. This…?" Carnelian asked, her voice shaking.

White Pearl continued, "Speaking of which… Explanation, you three. You reported her descent was almost complete, and she would collapse very soon. She seems in top shape to me…"

Hurt and taken aback, Carnelian asked, "Reports? You were… You were the ones monitoring me?"

White Pearl answered, "Well, of course. Who better to chart your downfall then those who know you well enough to see all changes."

A sinking feeling and growing despair took over Carnelian as her mental fog began to clear. She realized aloud in disbelief, her hands twining into her hair, "It was you … this whole time. So, this whole time… Wait! So, every time I saw you … I was **actually** seeing you?! When I talked to you … I was literally talking to you?!" Azurite, Thulite, and Sphene remained motionless and silent; Azurite couldn't look Carnelian in the eye, while Sphene and Thulite couldn't bear to turn and face her. Sad and angry tears began streaming down the red quartz's face. "I hoped I was dreaming every day. I thought of shattering myself so many times because I lost all of you. I cried and begged for your lives … and you watched… YOU WATCHED ME BEG FOR YOUR LIVES! I couldn't move on because … you weren't gone. This whole time…"

"Heartbreaking…" White Pearl dryly reacted. "Nevertheless, we have no time for this. Azurite, deal with this; we must repair this machine and get back as soon as possible."

"Like Zales, you will!" Carnelian affirmed, brought back by White Pearl's orders. "You will not take this planet! You'll have to shatter me first, White Pearl!"

Carnelian didn't have a chance to step forward, when the ground crumbled under her feet… WHUMP! CRUNCH! Carnelian disappeared with unnatural speed as she was driven deep into the ground… Azurite had taken the swift action without thinking … and collapsed to her knees when it fully hit her what she'd done. A strangling panic gripped her: she clutched her gem and her chest, began hyperventilating, her eyes wide with shock, and her form blinking as the pressure threatened to poof her.

"Well done, Azurite." White Pearl said before turning to Sphene and Thulite. "Get back to work, you two. We have even less time now."

Sphene and Thulite were not faring much better than Azurite: their hands were shaking, their extremities tingling, began fumbling around as their motor functions suffered, and even became lightheaded. The two technician gems needed assistance, and so went to their backup plan, Thulite activating a device inside her gem. With a chorus of whirrs, a small horde of wheeled-cylindrical repair drones rolled out the ship. Sphene then produced a controller and applied and adjusted the settings on them. With that, the drones all started working with various tools on the Injector, periodically going back into the ship and coming back with materials to aid in the restoration.

Suddenly, a faraway flash signaled the warp pad coming to life, and the following huge column of light got the attention of all the gems. Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, and Lapis arrived and quickly ran toward them, and stopped cold when they saw who was standing there.

Pearl spoke for all of them, speaking while thunderstruck, "N-No… That can't be … them?"

Azurite looked back, exchanged looks with Sphene and Thulite, and turned to the Crystal Gems again. A loud huge rumbling underfoot built up all around them until … a massive wall of rock shot up behind Azurite! The new structure was so large that it covered them in shade and made it a bit colder by changing the wind directions, little waterfalls of loose dirt falling from its top. It separated them from the others and the Injector with no easy way over, under, around, or through. The Crystal Gems had hurried here due to Stevonnie's alarm, but the young fusion was with someone originally… That gem was missing.

"Azurite, I presume?" Garnet started.

"Of course, she told them…" Azurite thought, a little surprised but only for a moment. The deep blue gem replied, "I am Azurite, yes."

Amethyst asked accusingly, "Where is Red? What did you do to her?"

Azurite couldn't stop the pain for showing on her face. She started to look at the spot she drove Carnelian down but couldn't bear it and flinched away. "Please… Don't make me say it…"

Lapis, having heard enough, stepped forward, and she and Azurite faced off. A sense of familiarity and knowing struck them just from seeing each other, and that only made them both more serious and resolute. They knew what was coming next… Lapis had taken precautions for a situation like this and now was time to call upon them: a host of 'pockets' of water shot up out of the ground all over the area as Lapis drew them and pooled over her head in one mass. Meanwhile, none of them noticed Azurite dropping two golf ball-sized seeds and burrowing them underground near her feet.

Lapis formed her water into two large hands and sent them to grab Azurite. In response, two gigantic flowers burst up next to Azurite and 'drank' up the water, absorbing and negating the attack. Most of the Crystal Gems recoiled from the unexpected response, but Lapis didn't let herself get caught in awe of the effortless display of power; Lapis quickly pulled all her water back out of the plants. The first salvo fired, the two blue gems stood facing off with their elements at the ready for what would be an obviously dramatic and taxing battle…

"Impressive." Azurite said, "What company did you fight with?"

"None. Not much of a fighter, actually."

"Hmm… Fair warning: that's going to be a disadvantage."

Her gauntlets not drawn, Garnet entreated, "Azurite, you don't have to do this. You don't want to do this."

Azurite sighed. "Want, need, can or can't… At this point, my options are non-existent. I don't deserve any other options."

Suddenly, Azurite was grabbed by the ankles and pulled halfway into the ground, so swiftly and strongly that the ground seemed to not resist! The blue gem was surprised but didn't have time to recover: A large figure then burst halfway up out of the ground in front of Azurite and clasped her large and powerful hands around the blue gem's neck! Carnelian was visibly irate, her eyes bloodshot and dilated to small circles, teeth gritted in a treacherous snarl, her body literally smoking.

Azurite stared petrified at the red quartz not just from Carnelian's death grip on her throat but also the hellish appearance her former lover had taken on. The large flowers withered to nothing. Another set of loud rumbling like before followed as the rock wall steadily crumbled and sank back down into the ground. The Crystal Gems rushed forward to the wall's openings … and didn't dare look at Carnelian's face…

The sounds of rumbling rock caught White Pearl, Sphene, and Thulite off-guard, and looked up to realize the wall was indeed falling apart. Very soon afterward, the Crystal Gems rushed forward to face them. Sphene and Thulite glimpsed Carnelian grasping Azurite and how incensed their former commander was … and focused all their attention back to the Crystal Gems.

Azurite realized Carnelian could crush her into her gem at any moment and came up with a desperate response. Controlling the ground around, Azurite expelled them both from the ground and sent them flying up and away from the immediate area. Carnelian broke her rage at the last second to realize what was happening and fired energy from her for protection and control. In mid-air, they separated; Azurite instinctively softened the ground at her landing spot until it was a virtual cushion and landed gently, while Carnelian landed on her feet hard and fast with a loud cratering crash like a falling meteorite. Azurite looked around and saw the machine and the other gems barely visible a ways away … and then looked to see Carnelian slowly stand with literal and figurative fire still in her eyes. The red quartz slowly turned to her former partner…

-X-

All the gems watched as Azurite and Carnelian rocketed away, and the Crystal Gems took the reprieve as an opportunity to draw their weapons…

Garnet called out, "Stop right there! You are not fixing that machine!"

The three Homeworld gems rapidly gauged their next move. Sphene especially started calculating probabilities, threat assessment, courses of action, potential dangers, and scanning the Crystal Gems for what they might do and how to respond and combat them. Then, she laid her eyes on Amethyst … did a double take … and couldn't stop staring. Her train of thought derailed spectacularly as she gazed at the purple quartz. It was just those dark eyes, those lush lips, that compact yet … voluptuous frame… In all likelihood, she was just as fast and strong as any quartz. Sphene started to imagine how quickly those powerful arms could crush another gem and what it would be like to … be held in those arms … and pressed into her warm and visibly plush body…

White Pearl sensed some recall, saw the stars on their persons, and finally said, "Yes, now I remember. So… this is all that remains of the 'mighty' rebellion? It would be tragic if it weren't so … disgusting."

Amethyst snapped her whip as a threat. "Laugh it up; we're still gonna wipe the floor with you."

Sphene had to keep herself from swooning from Amethyst's light yet husky and robust voice…

White Pearl continued, "Now that I see your sorry state… destroying this planet will be a mercy."

"That will not happen!" Pearl twirled her staff to the ready and pointed to White Pearl. "You will leave now or be defeated!"

Her monotone attitude slipping, White Pearl responded with noticeable acid in his words, "Now, the deviant Pear addresses me? You still forget your place, infidel… Sphene, Thulite, rectify this sin and eliminate them."

The command broke Sphene's trance, and the green gem protested, "Engaging enemies is not our directive, correct? Is that not the crime we've committed in the past?"

Pearl responded with enough of a change in tone to indicate her irritation, "Dispose of these rebels, and you may earn a reprieve. Disobey me … and be shattered for certain."

Sphene and Thulite knew they had no option. Leaving the machines to the repairs, Thulite stood and stepped forward, Sphene pivoted her rocket chair, and the two faced them.

"Sphene, I'm running on empty. Please cover me while I fix that…"

"Of course. Don't take too long."

Thulite moved to an empty spot slightly off to the side and started radiating heat from her soles, the ground starting to glow under her feet as a result. Sphene piloted a little closer and started pressing a sequence of buttons, her visor darkened as targeting software came up before her eyes…

-X-

"My lo—Scarl—Carnelian, please, don't do this." Azurite said, "I don't want to fight you."

Carnelian hunched forward and with a near-crazed look, growled through bared teeth, "Then! Stand! Aside!"

"I… I can't do that. I can't go against them."

"Then, FIGHT!"

Carnelian crunched in on herself as she gathered every ounce of strength within herself then let out a tremendous roar as she released it. The energy burst out and coated her body in red flames! Azurite could feel the radiating heat and static even from the distance between them.

Azurite commented aloud, even though she knew getting Carnelian to hear her was fruitless. "I won't apologize to you; there's nothing I can say to make this right. I don't deserve for you to forgive me."

Carnelian took one powerful step and blasted forward! Azurite froze for a moment, transfixed at the sight of the attacking Carnelian: her long black coat and voluminous white hair billowed furiously behind her. Red flames and lightning bolts flew off her in every direction. Her every thunderous step cracked the ground. It was an utterly terrifying sight … yet Azurite was enthralled. Then, she realized: this was what their enemies saw; this horror was how it felt to be against her. The blue gem had to quickly shake her trance as Carnelian got close and prepared to strike, having to start desperately dodging.

Carnelian began thrashing after Azurite, the energy from her body making even missed strikes sting and blasted through all rock structures and defenses Azurite can raise and conjure, punching them into dust. Soon, Carnelian managed to grab Azurite and, with a swing, tossed her far away. Azurite lifted and softened a patch of ground to catch her, then raised a protective dome around herself. Carnelian took a flying leap, crashed through the top, and released a wave of energy to blast it apart! Dust and dirt flew away with the larger pieces that managed to stay together blown to rubble.

Azurite re-emerged a good distance from the ground, having to burrow underground and away to escape the red quartz. The blue gem watched as the red quartz looked around and located her again. Now, Azurite knew there was only one way she was going to last any longer: she had to fight back… Carnelian picked up two pieces of the broken rock shell and hurled them at Azurite like lethal discs… Azurite took mental control, 'catching' them, and slowly turned them against Carnelian…

-X-

Sphene's chair shifted, transformed, and reconfigured with metallic sliding, scraping, and clicking. Two stabilizing anchoring legs slid out of the bottom to the ground. The outer shell separated as a long weapon barrel emerged and spun into place. The controls in Sphene's hands turned and twisted into triggers. In seconds, Sphene's chair was now a mounted energy Gatling gun! Sphene flashed a devilish grin as the gun revved up, and the Crystal Gems' eyes grew wide and swallowed hard; this was going to hurt.

TATATATATATAT! Sphene let loose an endless and relentless barrage of artillery at the Crystal Gems. Under this shower of light and peppered by the stream of energy shot, the Crystal Gems were running for dear life. They tried separating to divide the green gem's attention, only for Sphene to reveal she could change the firing pattern and speed; she switched to multiple shots in many directions. Meanwhile, Thulite was sinking literally; she was busy heating, melting, and refining the ground under and around her into white-hot slag. Soon, she was waist deep in the pool of molten magma, and then lowered herself into it up to her neck … and started drawing it into her body!

The Crystal Gems had to regroup. They all gathered together behind Garnet, with Garnet and Lapis combining their efforts to shield everyone, and together they started pushing forward. In response, Sphene focused her fire into a powerful beam! Garnet staggered but was not blown away. Lapis strengthened the shield of water all around Garnet, the fusion regained her feet, and started pushing through again.

Sphene started getting nervous. "Thulite! Our situation is rapidly deteriorating!"

"Just a little more. Just a little longer."

The gunfire was no longer effective. Sphene had a more appropriate strategy but must halt her attack to put it into practice, unsure if there was enough time with Thulite preoccupied… Nevertheless, it was her only option. Sphene stopped firing and started pushing buttons, pulling levers, flipping switches, and her chair started transforming again. Garnet wasted no time taking her chance: the fusion rushed forward and prepared to strike … only to have her fist caught by Thulite! The pink-and-white gem's normally white lines were now glowing red from the magma in her body. Her goggles were now down with the red circular lenses giving her an uncanny and mechanical look. While still struggling against Garnet's attack, Thulite paused to look over the fusion's gauntlet.

Way too casual for comfort, Thulite was complimentary. "The craftmanship on this weapon is out-of-this-world good." She then started heating up Garnet's glove in her hand. "Your forge master must be something special."

Thulite rapidly raised the temperature, and Garnet felt her gauntlet starting to melt! The fusion ripped her arm free and jumped back. Sphene's chair finally morphed apart and around her limbs; they took on the familiar spherical and robotic shape of 'limb enhancers' and were made slightly more ominous-looking by the exhaust vents on them. Now, Sphene was ready. Thulite made her own preparations by shooting molten streams out of her back and shoulders while hardening them into spikes. Then, she morphed one hand into a hammer and the other into an anvil. Sphene took aim with both arms, the glowing light and humming noise coming from them revealing that they were blasters. Thulite banged her weapons together for warlike clangs then charged into attack.

-X-

Carnelian charged … only for a column of rock to shoot up, slammed, and lifted her high into the air. The red quartz tried to slide down the side, only for a square of rock to jut out and send her hard into the ground. That situation was a microcosm of the changes in Carnelian and Azurite's battle. Carnelian was still blitzing hard but now Azurite was battering her, slamming her into, crushing her between, and burying her under stone structures. Two of Azurite's attacks were particularly devastating.

Carnelian approached but was trapped by a softened ground, and Azurite followed it by raising a stone wall behind the red quartz … then a massive battering ram in front of her. BKOOOM! The pendulum was slammed into and crushed Carnelian into the wall. The ram reared back and … BKOOM! Carnelian was crushed again. BKOOOM! BKOOOM! She was crashed into twice more, power beaten out of her with each vicious strike. Carnelian got her hands up and held the ram back when it came back, but she was trembling and shaking from the damage she endured. The battering ram then let off and pulled back … and then kept pulling back. Finally, the battering ram came flying forward! The speed and force of impact obliterated the wall into a cloud of dust and earthen shrapnel. Azurite froze for a moment as she looked at the results … and saw Carnelian off to the side; the red quartz had jumped clear in time, still breathing laboriously on her hands and knees, the energy over her body flickering.

Azurite slowly approached, hoping and wishing that last onslaught was enough. Carnelian looked up, stopping Azurite cold, and went back on the attack… A short time later, Azurite kicked up a huge cloud of dust, and Carnelian had to stop to locate her combatant … and didn't see the attack coming from underneath her. A large stone 'mouth' filled with blunt pointed 'teeth' gobbled up Carnelian and started chewing and gnashing her in its teeth! Suddenly, the agonizing punishment paused when Carnelian got enough footing to try pressing the mouth's upper and lower halves apart, but to no avail. The mouth shook vigorously like an animal shaking its captured prey to stop her and then went back to masticating the red quartz. Azurite again got close, this time gauging when exactly to stop the torment. Then, the mouth suddenly stopped again, and again slowly started to open; Carnelian again pressed the mouth's jaws open and was succeeding, her body visibly ravaged and ragged.

Trying and failing to not sound worried, Azurite pleaded, "Carnelian, please stop. You don't have to go through this. I don't want to do this to you."

Carnelian said defiantly and with effort, "No! I will defend this world! Did you forget what I'm about?! I will not stop!"

Carnelian felt the mouth biting down with more strength, and so angled herself and let go! She used the resulting force of the mouth slamming shut to shoot her forward. Azurite had to quickly duck to avoid Carnelian taking her head… The red quartz was hurting but she knew couldn't stop. She started regimenting her energy, keeping it internal then letting it explode on contact. Azurite knew this tactic all too well: Carnelian was in pain, but she also wasn't slowing down or losing strength. The deep blue gem knew she would have to do something drastic … and terrible.

Azurite dodged two of Carnelian's strikes to get distance and then sprang her trap in place. She captured Carnelian in a large rock sphere with large stone cylinders poking out in all directions, resembling a depth charge. Azurite then lifted it up into the air … and began forcefully driving the cylinders into the sphere, pounding and pulverizing the captive Carnelian! After several savage seconds of percussive punishment, Azurite drew all the cylinders out as far as possible and emphatically jammed them all in at once! Finally, Azurite dropped the sphere with a heavy THUD!

Again, Azurite was deeply affected by what she had just done; that technique only had one use: shattering. The deep blue gem grew shaky, her extremities growing light, and her chest ached and heaved as she felt tears coming on. The sphere sat silent and motionless… PKSH! Suddenly, the point of something sharp shoots up out of the sphere! A white sword carved up the sphere from the inside. Carnelian then broke and climbed out of her shell prison uncovered and with claymore in hand, the indents and bruises from the attack all over her … then fell to her knees, needing to use her sword to hold herself up.

Azurite looked at the red quartz with a rueful smile, saying, "Yes, of course. Scarlet … sometimes I forget how truly magnificent you are."

Carnelian forced herself to her feet, struggling against the pain radiating through her entire form. The red quartz imbued and ignited her sword blade in her red flame-like energy and with a mighty swing, sent a crimson wave of energy at Azurite.

-X-

Even outnumbered two-to-one, Sphene and Thulite were formidable. Thulite rapidly morphed and formed the molten rock into a multitude of implements and tools-turned-weapons, which she could form from any part of her body: saws, hammers, drills, nails, hooks, clamps, and the like. Sphene was highly mobile thanks to thrusters in her boots, speeding, dashing, almost flying in any direction and even changing directions in mid-air. In addition, the twin blasters on her arms allowed her to rapid-fire, charge for a more powerful shot, and even focusing it into beams and cutting lasers.

Garnet and Pearl engaged with Thulite. The pink and white gem couldn't match Garnet's power or Pearl's agility, but Thulite was able to battle them with her sheer versatility; she used so many different tools at so many different angles that Pearl and Garnet couldn't get much headway or stick to specific strategy or pattern. Then, Thulite revealed she didn't have to look or be paying attention to attack or defend, with her implements emerging all over.

Sphene, meanwhile, was engaged in a very dangerous dance with Lapis and Amethyst. With Sphene rocket dashing, Lapis flying, and Amethyst rolling, all three were speeding around to attack and avoid at the same time, just inches between getting a good attack and dodging for dear life. Sphene went after Lapis, combating and actively challenging the powerful blue gem, but oddly … avoided Amethyst, dodging and parrying Amethyst's onslaught but not actually fighting the purple quartz.

White Pearl was watching the battle but her focus on something else. The machines were making progress on repairing the Injector but not nearly fast enough for her liking. Instead, she focused her attention on something she knew would work; she only needed Sphene and Thulite to 'distract' these despicable Crystal Gems for a little while longer…

-X-

The battle between Carnelian and Azurite was taking its toll. Carnelian was going a whole lot slower but still blasting through all defenses. Azurite had advanced to raising many walls, obstacles, and hurdles with multiple layers and levels, but Carnelian was simply slashing and slicing them apart. Azurite knew this was going to get bad: Carnelian was suffering but she was not going to stop. Azurite also had to be careful, knowing Carnelian could blast right through her if she let up. She had to put an end to this and had no choice but to do something, while less punishing, was no less cruel…

Azurite latched and captured Carnelian's leg in rock and trapped her to the ground. Carnelian would not let herself be trapped again. With no consideration to the pain … Carnelian pulled until she tore leg off, quickly reforming it free! The agony increased the red quartz's urgency and she started sprinting headlong for Azurite. The deep blue gem responded by next trapping Carnelian's arm, and, when the red quartz was yanked back from the sudden grab, trapped Carnelian's other arm, locking them both to the ground as well. Carnelian dissolved her sword, took several deep breaths, and pressed forward. She struggled against her stone shackles as well as her preservation instincts and pain signals until… Carnelian tore away from both her arms! She let out a half-crying scream of agony, frustration, and resolve. Finally, she reformed her arms, summoned her sword again, and went back on the attack…

Azurite only escalated her strategy: she shot up angled rock spikes from the ground and caught Carnelian in the knee and shin, bringing the red quartz crashing down face-first. As soon as Carnelian hit, Azurite then shot up more spikes through the quartz's other leg. The spikes then spread and hooked in her claves, fully locking her down. Carnelian lifted onto her knees to try to pull free, but she was never given the chance; Azurite clasped Carnelian's hands and forearms in rock braces then dug and locked them in place with spikes as well, Carnelian screaming out in pain as her arms were still stinging from being torn and reformed moments earlier. Finally, Azurite sunk the braces into the ground so that Carnelian was only on her hands and knees.

Finally, Azurite completed her device. The deep blue gem formed up-sloping, crisscrossing stone bands on both sides of Carnelian then crossing the tops over her in a vague tent shape. Azurite formed so many and bound them so tightly together that only Carnelian's head was visible. The confinement however was only part of this contraption; Carnelian tried lifting her arms or legs, but it only caused the bands to intersect deeper, squeezing and crushing the quartz's midsection in the scissor.

-X-

The Crystal Gems were still fighting Sphene and Thulite. White Pearl, however, was finally finished, feeling herself full of White Diamond's energy after needing so much time to draw it. White Pearl focused the energy, thrust her scepter forward, and struck: a loud, unholy piercing noise rang out, some terrible combination of a scream, a siren, a screeching rail, and a nail scraping glass! All six gems were debilitated with Sphene and Thulite receiving no respite. The tone cut through everything else and almost vibrated throughout their very gems. All of them stopped, were crumbled down, and curled in on themselves in torment. Lapis fell out of the sky with her water raining down around her. Sphene's mechanism fell apart off her limbs. The molten rock flowed out of every opening on Thulite's form. Looking upon her torturous work, White Pearl grew a small smirk.

"Finally…" White Pearl mused, "All is right."

-X-

Even in extreme duress and fatigue, Carnelian continued to fight. The red quartz pushed up, screamed out as the crush and pressure bore into her, and had to relent and be pushed back down. She breathed and heaved harder after every attempt and took longer to recover each time. Azurite's gut and heart wrenched watching her former lover tortured until she finally couldn't take it anymore. Azurite rushed over and knelt in front of her…

"Carnelian, stop!" Azurite pleaded, "Please, stop! This will only hold you; it won't hurt if you stop struggling. So, please, please stop."

Carnelian spoke despite her pain, "I can't … let you destroy this place. This … is my home now!" Azurite couldn't answer. "This is wrong! You know that! Azurite … let me out. Let me … stop this… Help me."

Azurite clenched her eyes as she looked away. "I … can't."

"Why not?! I've made it this far … So, can you."

"It's too late now…" Azurite stood and turned away, her words rueful, shaky, and choking. "And I'm … not like you. I don't know how you do it. I've said it before, and it's always been true: you've always been the strong one in our relationship."

Carnelian dropped her head, and with an aching in her chest, Azurite started to walk away… Suddenly, a bright pink flash filled the area! Carnelian looked back up to see, and Azurite had to jump back as a strange creature came flying into her periphery. A pink blur came to a skidding stop to reveal: Stevonnie and Peridot riding atop Lion, sliding between Carnelian and Azurite! Stevonnie ran over to Carnelian as soon as they saw her while Peridot scanned the area…

"Peridot, you see the others?"

Peridot reported as it happened, "Affirmative, I have a visual."

Stevonnie then directed, "Good, you and Lion, go help the others… I'll try to take care of this."

Peridot and Lion then sprinted off while Azurite watched … and didn't stop them. Stevonnie then turned and faced Azurite.

-X-

Peridot analyzed the situation, and it was just as Garnet had said. She pulled out the device she'd been working out for weeks before now; it was time for its first test run. She activated it with a humming thrum and held it up. White Pearl was still incapacitating the other gems when she spotted something pink with something green atop it speeds over, neither of them at all slowed or hindered. Peridot rode into the midst to the Crystal Gems, and the thrum from device soon vibrated through them. Soon, the effects of White Pearl's sonic assault subsided, negated by Peridot's own tone. The Crystal Gems all stood back up, ready to fight again, and White Pearl emoted for the first time since arriving … with shock.

Amethyst exclaimed, "Great timing, Peri! What is that thing, anyway?"

Peridot explained with pride, "A vibration-emitter. It's just as I hypothesized: If the signal Garnet spoke of is met with an equal and opposite frequency, the two would negate each other, and then it's just a case of getting acclimated."

"Excellent work, Peridot." Garnet said, "Now, everybody, let's finish this."

Only Sphene and Thulite were still stricken, so White Pearl decided to save the remaining energy and stopped her assault.

Urgency evident even in her monotone, White Pearl called out, "Both of you, get up and resolve this, and you will get full pardons. Now!"

Sphene and Thulite were still in a fog from being caught in the 'friendly' fire as they processed White Pearl's order. Sphene saw her tech was still out of order. Thulite's magma was all expelled and cold. The two looked in exasperation at White Pearl and then to each other; they hated to use it for this endeavor, but they had one last option, a last resort. Both breathed deep as they stood, spun, joined hands … and disappeared into light!

As the Crystal Gems recoiled, a large humanoid figure grew until the light drained away to reveal a new gem: she was a gigantic four-armed fusion wearing a four-eyed pair of red circular goggles with two smaller lenses higher in the middle. She had a head of full of dramatically frizzled hair zigzagging in all directions, and her skin was green with white stripes and large pink splotches. Unakite looked at the Crystal Gems … and grinned.

-X-

Stevonnie spoke first, firm but unassuming, "So, you're Azurite, right?"

"I am." Azurite said, looking the young gem fusion up and down, "And you're a … fusion hybrid?"

"I am. Azurite … you need to let us stop this. You need to let Scarlet go."

"You seem smart, young gem. You know what my answer is to that already."

"But it doesn't have to be this way… Tanzanite missed you so much; she still loves you."

"I know. And I…" Azurite stopped as her voice quivered, and she had to recompose herself. "I still love her too."

"Then, stop hurting her." Stevonnie pleaded with the blue gem, "Even better, help us. We'll forget this; she'll forgive this. Join us, and you could be together again."

Azurite let out a miserable chuckle and responded, "As if I could even accept that… No. I gave up any right or possibility when I betrayed her… This is all I can do now; I have to stop you."

"You're wrong." Stevonnie summoned their shield and drew their sword. "I'll fight, but there's always a second chance."

Azurite sprouted several spiraling tendrils from her arms and shoulders, and Stevonnie took on a fighting stance.

To Be Continued

 _ **A/N:**_ **And there you have it. We have two … chapters … left! So, thank you for stopping by and reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you come back to read more of the conclusion. Thank you for coming by, and as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.**


	13. Come Together

_Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, its characters, or its storylines. However, Rebecca Sugar is free to use my characters and/or storylines, should she see fit._

 _ **A/N:**_ **Hello, fellow readers and writers. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy it. Well, as you read in the description, as of 'A Single Pale Rose', this story is officially, though slightly, canon divergent. I've written this story in such a way that the events are still plausible, but canon has made them more roundabout. In any case, its's been a while, and there's only one more chapter left afterward. There are quite a few surprises in this one that I hope you like, so let's get to it. And here … we … go:**

Steven Universe: Crystallize Red

Come Together

Unakite, just like her components, as expected of a fusion, proved a fearsome foe. Settled on her knees between the Crystal Gems and White Pearl and the machine, her higher, smaller pair of arms fired laser beams all over, turning the ground into slag, while her larger, lower arms wielded a square war hammer, so blistering hot that it steamed on contact. She fired and sliced at some of the Crystal Gems with her lasers while pounding and swinging her hammer at the others. All the while, Unakite was morphing and cooling the melted ground into different shapes before melting it back down to reform it again if she needed it. She was obviously trying to keep them apart to prevent them fusing, but never seemed able to incapacitate them. Soon, it became clear… She wasn't trying to hit them at all!

Unakite evaporated an attack from Lapis, then caught an Amethyst whip strike in one hand while stopping a Garnet charge with a forceful hammer slam that the smaller fusion had to jump clear of to dodge. The large fusion finally fired shots at Pearl, Lion, and Peridot that sent them scrambling…

As the Crystal Gems tried to regroup, Unakite noted aloud, "Six minutes left. You're going to have to hit me a lot harder if you want to save your planet." The fusion looked over her shoulder and saw White Pearl preoccupied with machine repairs. Unakite lifted her goggles and spoke more deliberately with a look in her eyes of something like … encouragement. "You need … to hit me … harder."

The Crystal Gems looked at each other in confusion as Unakite slid her goggles back down, but a moment later, the fight was back on…

-X-

Stevonnie now regretted sending Lion with Peridot; Azurite had them on the run. The deep blue gem's range, power, and control of speed, direction, and angle was all too overwhelming. Then, there was the sheer number of constructs she could produce: spikes, saws, walls, columns, blades, hands, claws, and all kinds of implements of torment. The young fusion couldn't stop dodging and running for a moment, all of which was not helped by the fact that Azurite's weapon was the ground itself; she would never run out of ammunition, and it was hard to stay stable and charge when the ground underneath kept shifting. Stevonnie had to keep moving if they wanted to get close.

Finally, Azurite was not holding back and could fight truly … but that didn't mean her fight was any easier. Stevonnie was much more fleet-footed and elusive; they would easily vault past any obstacle and would smoothly evade any attack. The young fusion proved their soft-footedness when Azurite thought to turn the ground between them in a field of short spikes … only for the fusion to deftly run across the tips! The result was that Stevonnie got within striking distance a lot more frequently.

Stevonnie attacked with flowing slashes during fluid steps and spins, and Azurite slid, dodged, and parried. Then, Stevonnie attempted a strike Azurite recognized. The deep blue gem instinctively coated her arm in rock and caught the blade in her hand. Azurite learned a lot about the fusion from that attack.

"You've been training with Carnelian, haven't you?"

Stevonnie struggled to get free. "Yes, and she's a magnificent teacher."

"That she is."

With that came another revelation: Stevonnie was physically strong … but nowhere near as much as Carnelian. There was another battle strategy possible. Azurite spun away and shot a thick vine into Stevonnie, knocking them back. She then extended thick vines from her arms and shoulders to use them as tendrils and, with that, started whipping, slashing, and chasing.

Now, Stevonnie was lost in the weeds, and one exchange served a dire confirmation for the young fusion. When she got an opening to do so, Azurite wrapped a vine around Stevonnie's wrists, trapping their hands in the guard of Rose's sword. The fusion pulled and struggled but Azurite's vine held firm. The deep blue gem gauged the resistance and got an idea of their strength; Carnelian could've just yanked Azurite close if this was used on her, but it was perfectly viable against the fusion.

Thinking fast of an escape, Stevonnie rapidly let go of the sword, pulled their hands free, and caught the sword again before it fell. The battle continued until Azurite caught Stevonnie with a vine around their neck. The fusion got a hand in between the grip but they could still feel themselves weakening. They had to act fast. Stevonnie quickly found the end of the vine, pried it away slightly, and slipped down and out with end in tow, with the added effect if putting a knot in the tendril. Azurite proved resourceful when she used the knot as the end of a flail.

The next capture was much more torturous. Azurite caught Stevonnie's arms and bent them both back behind them, putting unbearable stress and pressure on the fusion's back and shoulders. Stevonnie quickly flipped forward to reposition themselves and relieve the agonizing lock, and again slipped their arms out while pulling the vines in to knot them.

Azurite eventually wrested the sword and shield away, wrapped several thick and powerful vines all around Stevonnie, trapping their arms, midsection, and legs together … then began constricting them! Stevonnie rapidly felt all their power being crushed out of them. They need an escape and fast. One technique came to mind, one that they had not perfected yet but if there was ever a time… The young fusion located their sword and shield, took long range 'control' over them, and, too low on air to focus, 'flung' the shield in the vague direction they wanted it to go… CLANG! The shield smacked into Azurite's head with rattling, unfettered impact, the blue gem brought to her knees as pain vibrated through her entire form. Meanwhile, Stevonnie 'pulled' their sword in front of them and slashed through the vines to cut themselves free. A rush of air and relief filled them as they removed the remnants of vines from their body…

"Creative… Resilient… Quick thinking…" Azurite commented, still holding her head, "You're so young, but … you're already so good…"

Their voice raspy and skipping from the constriction, Stevonnie responded, "I have good teachers, especially Scarlet-Tanzanite."

"I can see that… But for all your talents, you've still barely laid a hit on me. Do you have enough in you to beat me?!"

Stevonnie drew their sword and shield into their hands. "We're about to find out, aren't we?!"

-XX-

The Crystal Gems were still on the run from Unakite. Suddenly, Amethyst caught a reprieve; the purple quartz was in mid-spin dash when a laser burned right into her path … and just missed her by inches. Amethyst thusly broke through the line of Unakite's attack and ended up next to Pearl. No discussion was needed as Pearl took hold of Amethyst, and the purple quartz raced them both to a safer spot. They got clear without Unakite seeing… The large fusion did seem to look in their direction at one point and yet… There was no time to question the miracle now. The two stopped, joined hands, and disappeared into light.

Unakite readied an attack for Garnet and Lapis … when she got cut off. The fusion dodged just in time as an arrow of light whizzed past her head and watched as it flew past and burst into a shower of sparks! Unakite looked off to the side and saw the tall, fair-skinned fusion with full lips, long legs, and a long ponytail. Opal rushed over to Garnet and Lapis with bow in hand and at the ready. Unakite grew an odd smile…

"Okay, an exciting development…" Unakite then twirled her 'weapons' in her hands. "Whatever you here, you must execute quickly; you only have 3 minutes and 13-12-11-10 seconds left."

Garnet commanded, "Opal, cover us."

"Of course."

"Lapis, are you ready?"

Lapis nodded. With that, the Crystal Gems went back on the attack.

-X-

Stevonnie was knocked back again, caught themselves, and slid to a stop near Carnelian. The red quartz had dropped her head, looking up only sparingly to see…

"Scarlet? Tanzanite?" Stevonnie called out. Carnelian looked up pained but tired. "I'm all out of ideas. What do I do to beat her?"

Carnelian shook her head. "I wish I knew, kids; if I did, I wouldn't be trapped here."

"Your wife… She's unbelievable. And she doesn't even seem to be getting tired."

Carnelian let out a rueful chuckle. "Heh. You think this is impressive. She's not even close to her limit; She could do all of this in stasis. It's almost like she's…" The red quartz's eyes grew wide and her words slowed down as she realized. "… not trying… She's not even trying…"

Meanwhile, Azurite rumbled the ground, chunks of rock swirling around her. The deep blue gem stared them down, intimidating and foreboding… However, Carnelian knew she was just flexing; she really was simply waiting.

Stevonnie mused, "Oh, this is bad. We still have to get past her … but how?!"

"We … can't."

"No… No, we—"

Carnelian continued, "Wait, I mean, not yet. We can't match her on our own, but we could do it … together."

"Do you really think we'll…" Stevonnie just then looked over and saw the almost excited look in Carnelian's eyes. It took a moment before the wave of realizations dawned on them. "Tanzanite, are you really saying—"

Carnelian interjected, "Yes. Just give me a moment, and I'll be right with you."

Stevonnie's nervousness spiked thoroughly. "B-But, Scarlet, I've never done anything like that. I don't even know if it's possible."

Carnelian wriggled her head as she replied confidently, "If Garnet can do it, so can you. Don't worry; you'll do it perfectly."

Carnelian started getting into position, and a moment later, rumbling started above Carnelian's head. Suddenly, a sharp tip on a string blasted through the top of the structure. The tip of her sword whip! She then controlled it to slice down the side, then curved and carved up and around the back. At that moment, a timely distraction presented itself: a huge burst of particles some distance away got Azurite's attention, causing the blue gem to look over to the other battle. It was hard to make out at this distance, but she of course recognized Unakite. Then, she noticed the gems she was fighting, noticed there was one less than before, and then pinpointed one of the 'Crystal Gems' as much bigger than her comrades… It was a fusion!

Her sword whip thoroughly torn through the structure, Carnelian burst out to shatter … then fell to her knees. Stevonnie rushed to her side…

"Scarlet? Are you okay?"

"I will be…" Carnelian looked over to the young fusion. "… once we do this together."

Shakily and unsure, Stevonnie replied, "I-I… Are you sure I can do this?"

"Of course; you're incredible." Carnelian gently placed her steadying hands on Stevonnie's shoulders, "Hey, look. Steven loves Connie. Connie loves Steven. They both love you. And I love all three of you. Just focus on that, and we'll do fine." Stevonnie, still nervous and skeptical, looked back and forth between Azurite and Carnelian. "Look at me, sweetheart… Go at your own speed and I'll adjust. Take the lead, and I'll follow. Use me to make yourself stronger."

Those words rang true, recognized and heartening the fusion through Connie. Carnelian had no doubt and all faith and confidence in the young fusion. Settled and steeled for the task, Stevonnie gave an affirmative nod to the red quartz … and then grew a big grin of excitement over what was about to happen. Stevonnie got up, Carnelian also rose a little bit slower, and the two got some distance…

Carnelian lightly quipped, "Something slow, please. I took a beating before you got here."

With that, Stevonnie started 'dancing' in their special way, less with coordinated steps more of just physically expressing joy. As such, it was difficult trying to match steps with them, so Carnelian tried matching their emotions, which naturally worked much better. Stevonnie then grabbed the red quartz's hands and started spinning them both, laughing and giggling. Despite everything, Carnelian couldn't help but laugh too. Soon, they both started glowing outward from their gems until they were completely covered in light, their forms beginning to merge into one. The resulting light caused Azurite to finally look back to them … then freeze in shock.

Small pops of firework-like lights filled the air as the form came together. Finally, the aura burst away and cascaded through the air to reveal a lovely fusion! They were a tall humanoid fusion, height halfway between their two components, with very toned abs, arms, and legs. They had an armor piece on their left arm, Carnelian's vambrace, and two pink bracelets from Steven and Connie on their right wrist. Their feet were clad in red and pink Greek strapped sandals, the straps twisting up to their calves. They wore striped shorts, a sleeveless top, and a black flowing waist cape over the backs of their legs. Red stripes all over their body, they had voluminous brown hair with white 'swirls' of hair flowing back from their face, down their back, and tapering off at the ends. They opened their eyes to reveal pinkish-orange irises.

The new fusion clenched their hands, flexed their feet and toes, and bent at their knees; they could feel the power in their body. Then, they looked around, up, and down as they adjusted to their new height. After a moment, something felt off or rather … didn't feel there at all.

"Scarlet?! Tanzanite?!" The fusion called out almost frantically as they looked around. Their voice, sweet and smooth, deepen slightly as they continued, "It's alright, sweetie. I'm here. No need to worry… This is weird. This just feels like … well, still like me, just more … 'FWAAH'" The fusion flexed their arms playfully but then recoiled slightly at their own strength. "It's pretty much you in the driver seat right now; I'm your backup dancer this time around/ Please stay close. I … we … I need you. Of course. Now, what's our … my name? Hmm, Scarlet Stevonnie… Ooh, I like that. It sounds like some kind of super hero name. But, Tanzanite, do you think it includes you enough? We can work on my name and my autonomy later. I have a fight to win, and not much time to do it. Right, let's do it!"

Azurite was completely taken aback in awe. This being was not only a fusion with a native species but with two of said species, and yet their power was still tremendous. They were breathtaking in all the good ways … and in the bad ways as well since she still had to fight the fusion. The look in Scarlet Stevonnie's eyes when they finally met Azurite's only confirmed the conflict about to ensue. It was at that moment that Azurite realized she had been absently getting close to them.

Scarlet Stevonnie summoned their shield and contemplated it for a moment when an idea came to mind; they formed a point on the shield's middle, spun it in place, and tentatively dropped it still spinning onto the ground point-first. All the while, they held their hands out toward it, really hoping this idea worked and work the way they wanted. As they pictured it, the shield indeed spun on the ground and balanced on the point like a very fast spin top, causing the fusion to briefly celebrate with a nod and a clap.

Scarlet Stevonnie then pulled Rose's sword back into one hand and summoned Carnelian's sword in the other, unfurling Carnelian's in its whip form. In a flash of light, she morphed them together: the result was a weapon with a long grip, its guard perpendicular and on its back like a bar handle, and the pink saber blade in the center with white sharp barbs all the way along its edge and top…

Azurite commented in disbelief under her breath, "That … seems impractical."

The fusion grabbed the guard overhand, revealing it was indeed a handle, and then quickly and rapidly twisted the sword's handle… The 'sword' screamed to life and roared with each twist of the handle like revving an engine! The barbs began to glow soft pink and started rapidly rotating around the blade … like a motorized saw! Very quickly, they were rotating so fast that it looked like a uniform aura around the blade. Scarlet Stevonnie gave the handle a few more revs, and the chain sped up, roaring and sending white sparks out from the outbursts…

Equal parts amazed and utterly terrified, Azurite stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the fusion new treacherous weapon. "Okay … that is _**so**_ cool!"

Scarlet Stevonnie hopped onto the still-spinning shield … and rocketed forward! Azurite barely had enough time to duck the fusion's initial slice and could still feel the white-hot heat along her back as the saw traveled over her. Scarlet Stevonnie very quickly wheeled back around, and Azurite had to very quickly get back on defense… The new fusion proved even more fearsome. Possessing Stevonnie's speed amplified by riding the shield, they were hauntingly fast and relentless while, at the same time, they also possessed Carnelian's power, all with a devastating weapon. Anything that got close to them was swatted and smashed away by their armored left arm, while any construct or barrier raised by Azurite was effortlessly carved and sliced through by their saw-sword like the hot razor it was. Faced with all these along with Scarlet Stevonnie's unrelenting pressure, Azurite had no true chance of escape…

In full survival sprint, Azurite was soon constructing without looking; she didn't have time otherwise. Azurite soon raised a humongous pillar under herself … only to see Scarlet Stevonnie racing up the side and dragging their saw to slice a straight line up it. Azurite jumped off the other side, and Scarlet Stevonnie followed down the same way. As the two off continued, the pillar split apart clean, both sides collapsing to the ground. Azurite then started constructing and traveling a spiraling path upward into the sky, but Scarlet Stevonnie was right behind her, with the spiral track perfect for the spinning shield to travel on. The deep blue gem desperately leapt off the track through the eye. The fusion responded by leaping up into the air while gathering energy, and then gave two big swings to send two saw-shaped waves of energy down after her. Azurite barely managed to get to the ground and leap away before the energy waves carved and quartered the structure.

Azurite gazed up at the fusion while Scarlet Stevonnie, floating on their shield, glared down back at her, determined and ready. The fusion revved their saw-sword once more and came flying down again. At that moment, Azurite realized something she had felt since the new fusion faced her: this fight was over…

-X-

The Crystal Gems were finally getting ahead. Unakite now had to use her lasers to negate Opal's volleys, limiting her to using only her hammer and anvil in her lower arms to combat Garnet and Lapis. Opal attacked with a continuous barrage, and with her ability to fire single shots and shots that burst into smaller bolts, managed to land a few hits every time. Meanwhile, Garnet got in close. While she wasn't as strong as Unakite of course, Garnet was much faster, agile, and able to duck, dip, and dodge around Unakite's hammer shots, allowing her to land clean, bruising blows to the larger fusion's legs, arms, and body. Lapis, at the same time, stayed out of Unakite's reach and used her water to trap, hinder, and constrict the larger fusion's actions, saving the other from damage and creating openings for them to exploit.

Unakite found herself getting worn down by the combined assault; only one more volley would be needed, and the Crystal Gems knew it… Opal formed a long arrow while Lapis formed all her water into a large spear. Both dodged one more attack from Unakite to get a clear shot … and fired! Two direct hits punctured Unakite's chest. Garnet took aim with her fists and blasted her gauntlets right at both impalements. Unakite looked around and located Peridot…

Unakite, under her breath, commented, "Not a single flaw; just magnificent…"

Garnet's rocket punches connected, and all three attacks exploded! Thus, Unakite separated and disappeared in a huge plume of smoke. Thulite dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. Sphene, however, used the last of her power to shoot off to the side. The yellow-green gem bounced painfully along the ground until she skipped to a stop at Peridot's feet. Peridot was rightfully unnerved by unexpected move and started to back away … when Sphene grabbed her leg with terrifying speed. Peridot was frozen in shock as Sphene dragged herself up to her knees using Peridot's body. Sphene made a quick look around, seeing everyone else distracted, and very quickly pulled out a memory drive out of her gem and folded it into Peridot's hands.

Not moving her body or head, looking with her eyes only, Thulite discreetly signaled to ask if the deed was done, and Sphene, with much the same posture, discreetly confirmed the delivery with a return of the gesture. With that, both gems poofed back into their gems with small puffs of smoke. The Crystal Gems were victorious … until a piercing alarm started blaring…

"You're too late…" White Pearl softly said. She took a pleased, deep breath of relief then… "YOU'RE TOO LATE!"

-X-

Azurite raised a gauntlet of stone barriers in front of her. Two pink flashes followed along with two crossing waves of slashing energy. All the barriers crumbled and then were blasted apart as Scarlet Stevonnie sped through them. The young fusion brought their saw-sword down, and Azurite raised a thick stone chevron over her head in protection. The two attacks connected, and the pink sawing weapon won out, starting to work through the rock, inching closer and closer to the deep blue gem.

Azurite looked deep into the fusion's eyes, and she recognized the ferocity, the focus, the determination, the beauty… Even with her joined to someone else, Carnelian was unmistakable to the blue gem. Azurite … relaxed and gave a small smile.

"I got to see you … one last time."

Scarlet Stevonnie hesitated at Azurite's relieved comment … but quickly shook the feeling off and brought their saw-sword all the way down. Azurite was slashed away with a poof of smoke, and her deep blue gem fell to the ground with a soft clear chime. Scarlet Stevonnie, their weapon idling to a stop, picked up Azurite's gem and touched her to their head in regret, in mourning, and all the overwhelming emotion of this reunion.

"I'm so sorry. Yeah … me too."

The fusion gently placed Azurite's gem in their pocket… Suddenly, a large explosion flashed in the distance then held steady as if in a takeoff, and a blaring alarm that they recognized rose up. They looked over to see the injector beam, the hammering beam, and the control machine all rising into the air, with the control holding the other two with tractor beams!

"Can't mourn now… Gotta help the others put an end to this."

Scarlet Stevonnie jumped back onto their shield, revving their saw-sword back to life, and rocketed over… The Crystal Gems raced to stop the Injector from fully activating. Opal fired as many arrows and as fast as she could form them, Lapis flew after as fast as she could muster, and Garnet stretched her arms forward to grab and pull herself up to them. It proved fruitless; the machine's guns were repaired and now raining down waves of laser shots at the Crystal Gems, keeping them locked away at a certain distance. Perched on the control, White Pearl sneered down at their furious attempts. Peridot was left on the ground with Lion, Sphene and Thulite's gems in her hands; she could see it wasn't going well for her fellow Crystal Gems but was unable to do anything to help. As the other Crystal Gems fell to the ground, Peridot sensed something off and looked over to see a new yet familiar gem blitzing in their direction … then coil and fly up toward the beams!

The control's guns sensed the threat before White Pearl noticed and fired upon them with all prejudice. Scarlet Stevonnie lifted their shield above them to block the shots as they continued upward… KA-SHING! Scarlet Stevonnie sliced the crystal beam in half with one clean swipe! In one smooth motion, the fusion levitated their shield into their path, landed on it in mid-air, then vaulted off it back toward the hammering beam… KA-SHING! The fusion sliced the beam apart with a precise swipe like the one before it! White Pearl looked on in actual, visible shock as the machine stopped its ascent.

Scarlet Stevonnie levitated the shield under them and positioned them both right under the machine, all the while bubbling themself to send the machine's shots flying harmlessly away. The fusion took a moment to gather and build up some energy, then flew up toward the machine…! Scarlet Stevonnie plunged their saw-sword into the control machine and ran up the machine's face while dragging their weapon through it, White Pearl jumping clear as the destruction started. Finally, with one last push at the top, they cleave the entire control machine cleanly in two! Scarlet Stevonnie dove away and tumbled to the ground, the machine exploding above them.

The new fusion landed in front of the other Crystal Gems, quickly dissipated their weapon, and then created a massive bubble around them all. Burning bits of wreckage rained down around them, impacting and scorching the ground and area. All of it bounced harmlessly off the fusion's protective bubble. Once all was clear, the fusion sent the away, and a silent moment of relief and peace followed…

"Did you gems see that?!" Scarlet Stevonnie exclaimed as they spun around with elation, "That was totally wicked, right?"

The Crystal Gems stood in silent, thunderstruck awe, with stars in their eyes. Opal suddenly burst apart, and Amethyst sprinted to them and hugged the fusion around the waist…

The purple quartz exclaimed, "That was the coolest thing! This! You!"

"I know, right?!"

Pearl interjected, "I never even considered… But you are spectacular."

Garnet couldn't have smiled any wider. "Yes, you are. I mean, of course, Stevonnie can fuse; it should've been obvious, but here you are. How are you? What's your name?"

"Well, I'm pretty good. And I've been calling myself Scarlet Stevonnie for now; had other things to do before I found out, you know…" The young fusion's face turned more somber and serious. "Does anyone have Sphene and Thulite's gems?"

Peridot stepped forward and presented the defeated gems. Scarlet Stevonnie took out Azurite's gem and then received Thulite and Sphene's. Cradling all three of them, the fusion looked at them mournfully, the team reunited in the worst way possible. After a few moments, however, their feelings shifted, and their face hardened to anger, as they remembered the cause of the heartache. Scarlet Stevonnie searched around and saw White Pearl quietly slinking away to the ship…

POOF! Scarlet Stevonnie separated, with Steven and Connie sitting on Carnelian's shoulders. Carnelian let the two teens down, Azurite, Thulite, and Sphene still in her hands…

"Excuse me; I have something to say to her before she leaves…" Carnelian hissed as she turned toward White Pearl.

"Scarlet, wait…" Garnet called out.

It was too late, and Carnelian was already storming over… White Pearl was beating a most hasty retreat, with no idea what to tell her Diamond. Suddenly, she was grabbed, yanked back, and spun around. Carnelian seized White Pearl by the neck with her free hand and lifted her up to eye level…

Her voice even and low despite the volcanic anger and disgust on her face, Carnelian stated, "Listen carefully and remember this… Your mission was a scrap. The blast injector was beset by environmental factors and rendered inoperable. When you attempted repairs, it went critical and destructed. Azurite, Sphene, and Thulite were lost in the explosion…" White Pearl produced her staff, but Carnelian cut her off; she pinned the weapon to the ground with her foot and stomped its head off. In response, she squeezed White Pearl's neck even harder and drew a surprising groan of pain. "Now, this part is most important. If nothing else, remember this: there are no gems here, Crystal Gems or otherwise, and they've been gone for some time. This planet is no longer worth noting, and there's no need to come back. Is that crystal clear?!"

White Pearl, all the while, discreetly turned her staff upside down. "Yes, I understand … but do you?"

It happened in a flash. A blunt, sick sound of impact seemed to echo out. Carnelian's eyes went wide as she doubled over in pain, listlessly dropped her former teammates' gems… The red quartz could barely stand as she had been impaled by the harpooned spear shot out of the bottom of White Pearl's staff. White Pearl twisted the staff's middle, and the chain on the end of spear lengthened and drove forward. The spear punched out of Carnelian's back … then plunged into looped through her body several more, torturous times! Carnelian fell to her knees in agony, doubling over so much that her hair covered her face. The Crystal Gems rushed forward…

"Stop right there! Don't move an inch closer!" White Pearl ordered. She then turned her attention back to the suffering quartz. "Look at what you've reduced yourself to you, Carnelian. You were one of the elite, an Ultimate! Then, you let trifling emotions make you forget yourself. And then you completely debase yourself by deserting and throwing your lot in with … them." White Pearl spat that last line as she looked at the Crystal Gems with ire. "Suffer and shatter for all you have sinned."

White Pearl started to back away … before realizing she couldn't move. She looked down to see Carnelian still holding on to the front of her blouse with both hands. White Pearl went to push the quartz's hands away … but Carnelian was utterly immovable! She then tried to pull away … and grew more frantic with each tug as she couldn't move at all. Then, Carnelian started to make a move; the quartz reached up and clutched both sides of White Pearl's head, and shakily stood back up, lifting White Pearl back into the air. Carnelian finally lifted her head, showing the fury and intent in her dilated eyes.

Carnelian reared her head back then slammed her forehead right into White Pearl's, right into her gem! The impact stunned and made White Pearl go limp with the contact making a stomach-churning sound. Carnelian reared her head back again and delivered a second venomous headbutt to White Pearl's gem, making the others wince and suck in air through their teeth. Carnelian reared her head back a third time… KRA-ACK! The third strike broke a web of impact cracks into White Pearl's gem! The force of it rattled Carnelian as well, and she finally let go of White Pearl.

White Pearl froze from shock momentarily… AAAAAHHHH! Holding her gem as she screamed and sobbed, White Pearl flailed and convulsed on the ground from the trauma as her form glitched and flickered. The spear and chain dissipating from her body, Carnelian collapsed to her knees again and practically curled forward on herself as all the pain, battle damage, and complete exhaustion pressed down on her. Even then, Carnelian looked around, found, and scooped up Azurite, Sphene, and Thulite's gems again. The Crystal Gems gathered around Carnelian, but Steven and Connie couldn't help being disturbed by White Pearl's nightmarishly injured and panicked state. Steven naturally couldn't let it her stay that way…

"White Pearl, hold on, I'll heal you." Steven said as he started over to her.

White Pearl looked around every which way fearfully but aimlessly, seemingly able to hear but unable to see, until she desperately scrambled away. She got to her feet and sprinted into her ship, the door shut behind her. The vessel went into an emergency takeoff, greatly cutting its preparation time, sped off and disappeared into space. With that rejection, Steven went back to the others.

The red quartz still doubled over in pain, Carnelian's shoulders started bobbing up and down … in laughter? Closer inspection however made it all clear; despite the sounds of her chuckling, Carnelian was ruefully sobbing with tears flowing down her face…

Concerned like everyone else, Connie asked, "Scarlet? Are you going to be okay?"

Her voice hoarse and shaky, Carnelian lamented, "I should've known. I thought it would be okay, but of course… Broken down again."

Steven was starting to get worried. "Tanzanite, it'll be okay. C'mon; let me heal you and we can go home."

"No, Steven. I'm barely holding myself together; I need to rest… But I need you to do something for me: I need you to put me with them, wherever you put them."

"But, Tanzanite, I don't know…"

Carnelian put her hands on Steven's shoulders and begged him as she couldn't stop crying, "Steven, please. I … I can't leave them again… Even after all this… After all this time… I can't lose them again. Please, Steven…"

Connie added, "Scarlet… We don't know what we're going to do about them. We don't even know what we should do."

"I trust you. Whatever you decide, I'll accept… Please do this for me…"

Steven had tears in his eyes now. "O-Okay… I will."

"Thank you. I'm sorry, but I need this."

"I understand." Steven said between sniffling, "I just want you to be okay."

"Thanks to you all, I will. And I should be back before you know it."

Garnet spoke up to comfort them both, getting Steven's attention, "She's right; she'll be back sooner than you think."

Amethyst interjected, trying and failing to sound tough, "You better be, Red. You hear me? You better come back soon."

Pearl added, also laboring to keep herself composed, "Rest well. We'll be here."

"Thank you all." Carnelian put one hand on Connie's shoulder and addressed them both, "Steven, Connie, thank you both so very much, for everything you've done for me, from the day I got here to today. I love you both so much."

Carnelian managed a watery smile to them, and Steven and Connie give her one last tight hug. Once they separated, the red quartz breathed a sigh of relief and let go… POOF! Carnelian's gem fell to the ground next to Azurite, Sphene, and Thulite.

End Chapter

 _ **A/N:**_ **And there you have it. Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. This took entirely too long, and I sincerely apologize for that. Also, as stated above, as of the latest, incredible, Steven Bomb, this story is now slightly canon divergent. For those same wonderful reasons, it's actually got me looking at the ending of this story a little differently, and I'm doing some slight work on it. I'm going to have the next chapter up much faster that this one, and there is still just ONE chapter left. Anyway, thank once again for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you come back for more. And, Rant, Rave, and Review!**


	14. Thank You for Everything

_Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, its characters, or its storylines. However, Rebecca Sugar is free to use my characters and storylines, should she so choose._

 _ **A/N:**_ **Hello, fellow readers and writers. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you like it. Well, this is it, the last chapter. This is the last part of this arc. I'm debating of continuing with the story, depending on interest. However, that will be addressed at the end, but this is the conclusion of the current storyline. I want to thank you again for all your time, attention, and patience throughout this whole story. So, one more time, let's get to it. And here … we … go:**

Steven Universe: Crystallize Red

Thank You for Everything

White Pearl finally made it back to Homeworld, still in agony with her gem still cracked. She stumbled all the way into White Diamond's throne room and used the conveyor to carry her to her Diamond, down the incredibly long walk down the hall. White Pearl crumbled to her knees in front of White Diamond crying in pain, holding her gem as her body glitched and skipped…

Pleading and remorseful, White Pearl said with her glitching voice, "My Diamond… Forgive me… I failed you. We went there… The other gems… and the machine…"

White Diamond raised her hand to stop the distraught Pearl talking, "I saw."

White Diamond scooped up and cradled White Pearl into her hands, and gently ran her thumb over her Pearl's gem with a regretful sigh….

"You've been with me so long…" White Diamond whispered ruefully.

She gently placed her thumb and index fingers around the Pearl's gem, White Pearl smiling up at her adoringly…. PKSSH! Before White Pearl knew what was happening, White Diamond crushed her gem to dust, and brushed the remnants off her fingers.

Tapping on a keypad on the arm of her throne, White Diamond recounted, "It seems this little diversion proved fruitless. A shame…"

A door to the side opened momentarily, and a new, different Pearl tentatively stepped through. The young gem looked up in awe at White Diamond, who beckoned her closer. Overjoyed, this Pearl's face lit up, and she flitted over…

"My Diamond, I am honored you have summoned me." Pearl exclaimed, "Whatever your whim or bidding, I will carry it out without fail!"

White Diamond held up her hand to quiet her, and gingerly scooped up new Pearl in her hand. She looked deep into the smaller gem's eyes as Pearl lovingly gazed back. Then, White Diamond began to sing… Pearl's eyes went blank, the blue fading to a pale white, and her clothes changed and unfurled into flowing robes. White Diamond finished her song and set White Pearl down at her feet, and White Pearl silently took her place next to the throne.

-XXX-

It had been days, and Steven had been keeping vigil over the four new gems. He tried healing them as soon as they all got back to the temple and several times afterward, but to no response; they were by all metrics healthy, yet they all four remained dormant. The young gem meanwhile placed them gently on a pillow was carefully not to jostle them whenever he had to move. On some occasions, Steven had to do something else, but his mind never strayed far from them. Even after coming from a mission, he rushed right back to their side. The four gems were in his care, and their silence left him waiting, wondering, and worrying.

Meanwhile, the other Crystal Gems were at a loss. They definitely wanted Carnelian back, but the other three were a much more treacherous prospect. They had no idea how these new gems would react to Earth and her people or even where the three's loyalties lie. Would they leave? Would they go back to Homeworld? Would they still want to fight? What could they even do about the three? Should they let them go? Make them leave? Get them a gem base somewhere on Earth? One thing was certain however: bubbling them was out of the question. Then, there was the flash drive, another potential hand grenade. Was it a trap, a literal grenade? Could it actually be Homeworld secrets, because they were never that lucky? For altogether different reasons, the rest of the Crystal Gems were left worrying and waiting just like Steven.

Then, one overcast day that threatened to rain all morning, Steven was home alone … when Carnelian's gem started to glow! Steven excitedly backed away to give her some space. Her light grew until it filled the room and started to pulse. The process went on for a few moments … but no action came afterward. Her light then dimmed steadily until it went out! Steven was at complete loss, unsure of what just happened and what it meant. All he could do was relay the occurrence to the others when they got back…

"You got me there, Steven." Amethyst said, "I got nothing."

Pearl chimed in, "Could she have, I guess, 'searching' for the others? I know when I reform I can generally sense others around me. Could she have 'felt' the others weren't back yet and stayed in her gem?"

Garnet adjusted her visor. "That seems most likely."

Steven said with hope, "So, she'll come back when they come back? Okay, at least that's something."

So, they went back to waiting, and more days passed. Carnelian was now regularly shining and beginning to reform only to pause for a moment then dim back down. Then, one day when everyone was in the temple, they had their closest moment. Carnelian shined awake … and started to form! All stopped and looked as she gained a vague shape of herself. She stopped and froze for a long while … before steadily shrinking back down and falling dormant again, all the joy in the room with her.

Carnelian was on the other three latent gems' time, so they had to figure out Azurite, Sphene, and Thulite to get through to her. The Crystal Gems realized there was one recourse, their only one, to get answers for this predicament: to see what's on the memory drive. They could finally discover what its actual purpose, they could know the other three gems' true nature, and so know what to do for Carnelian…

They set up for a presentation, with all of them in the temple to see it including Lapis and Connie. Connie and Peridot connected a computer to a projector, Peridot fashioning an adaptor so that the drive would work on the laptop. All the Crystal Gems gathered around it with Steven sitting in front, the four sleeping gems situated on their pillow in his lap. Peridot connected the drive to the laptop and found several files. One, however, stood out: a prominent and obvious video file right in the front, titled 'Captain—please watch this'. Everyone took deep hitching breaths of trepidation and unease. Peridot enlarged it to full screen and played it…

It was a composite-video log, made of three videos spliced together. Each one was of one of Carnelian's former teammates, each one sitting alone in front of a camera speaking. The video played in an order of cycling from Sphene to Thulite and finally to Azurite…

"My Captain/ My Captain/ Scarl-… Carn-… Captain…/ As I speak, all factors have been accounted for. All parameters understood. We'll head for Earth first thing tomorrow/ All necessary tools and supplies are on our ship, and we're ready to head out … but personally, I've never wanted to fix something less/ We're all set to head to your location tomorrow. And I… I want to see you more than anything else in the universe but … I also hope you don't have to see me…/ If you're watching this, then I succeeded in delivering this memory drive to you, and our encounter went as predicted: you were victorious/ If you're seeing this, then we couldn't beat you; you're just as unbreakable as ever/ If you're watching this, then you won, but I mean, of course you did. That's no surprise; I know how incredible you are…/

To give a full account: we were accosted by White Pearl as soon as she arrived. Her directions were so shocking and unexpected that … we didn't fully react at first. But then, we witnessed her infect you with the White Song/ We didn't really believe her when this was laid out in front of us, didn't want to believe it either. Then, she shot you. It… Just seeing you ghosting with nothing there… I wish I could stop seeing it/ When she… When they … did that to you… I didn't know it was possible to be that scared, to be this scared still. That it happened to you and you had no idea, and the fact there was absolutely nothing I could do to help you… It's a nightmare I've never had before…/"

Sphene faltered, her breaths growing shaky, and she lifted her visor to rub her eyes. She cleared her throat as she wiped away an escaping tear and steadied the tremble in her voice, so she could continue. "We were present when you met White Diamond, and we had to witness them punish you. It was … unbearable to watch/ I still can't… How could they even…" Thulite, obviously disturbed, stopped as her hands found their way to her mouth and her eyes clenched close. Azurite's video picked up. "I wish you never went through that. I never wanted to see you suffer, to have you beg, to cry like that… I almost stopped everything right there, just stop the charade right there … but I didn't…/

Then, you left. And we were given an ultimatum: we were to monitor you or else they would shatter you then us. We quickly surmised however their true goal: We were to bare witness to your slow painful descent and make an account of it/ They gave us a choice, but not really. They were going to break you apart bit by bit, and we had to count the hammer and chisel strikes/ It was obvious they were just going to shatter us when it was all over, but first… They were going to torment you and drain away every part of you, and they were going to make us watch every second… But you showed them, didn't you? You defied all their plans. / Captain, even as naturally resilient and adaptable as you are, I cannot stress how remarkable your survival is. By every metric, parameter, and external factor, you should have been terminated. And yet, you not only survive, you managed to continue on with relative normality/ Captain, I call you unbreakable all the time, but I wasn't ready for how right I was. You weathered everything the song did to you, and barely cracked. It's almost unbelievable but not really surprising at all/ It should've been surprising. If it were a different group of gems, they would've thought all their monitors had failed. But, no. It was just you, going strong like you've always done. I just wish … I was there to help you…/

My Captain/ my Captain/ Scarlet, my love, my Captain/ This is my final report: I want to thank you more than anything, with every mineral of my being. It is all too clear to me what my existence would entail if not for you: rote, formulaic, static… It's a way I can't even imagine living now. Captain, you gave me permission to be me, even before I knew who I was. I … owe everything I am to you. All my projects, intel, data, and the like are yours to use at your discretion, and I hope they serve you well. I… I'm honored to have served under you, and proud to call you my Captain… Thank you/ Well, this, uh… This is it, my last report: you … you know me; it takes a minute for me to get my thoughts together. You helped me see and do things and ideas that not only didn't I think we're possible for me, but also never crossed my mind to do… I wouldn't choose anyone else to follow but you. I don't care what anyone else says: Captain, you are the best leader a gem could have… I know that's my opinion and all, but they can fight me on it. Well, I mean, they can't now but… Anyway, Boss … it was great, start to finish. Thank you. /

I haven't stopped thinking about that day. I've analyzed it, replayed it, and relived it so many times, and… It's clear now: I could've gotten us out of there. The walls, the elevator, the floor, there were so many ways out. I could've done something, and we could've escaped … but I didn't. I froze, and I didn't do anything. I just went along with it. You needed me, and I abandoned you. I…" Azurite paused as she began to cry but caught it and forced herself to stop. "I can't even dare to ask. I know I've given up every right to anything from you but… I would give anything to see you one last time … to look in your eyes again … to hear your voice again … just be your arms one more time…/

To the Crystal Gems: I am certain that, in the event of my survival, you will most likely have me confined. I accept and will comply with this punishment. As for the machine you were given by the Captain, it is free for your use and discretion. On this drive, I have provided additional data, research, and schematics for the Rejuvenation machine as well as several other projects of mine. These may prove redundant for your Peridot, but the extra insight should at least prove confirming. That machine specifically has exceptional utility and potential, so no need to limit your modifications. On a more personal note … thank you for supporting the Captain throughout this whole ordeal. I'm sure you're already well-acquainted with her talents and skill, and yet I cannot sing her praises enough. I am certain she will prove irreplaceable to you, if she hasn't already, and I hope your team will be even stronger than ours was/

To the Crystal Gems: you'll probably lock us up after all this, if we even survived the fight. That's fair; I won't fight it. But before all of that… thank you for helping the Captain keep going. She's … all yours now. She'll give you everything she's got and more, probably already is. Hey, and now you'll get everything she was saving for us. I hope you'll… No, I'm sure you'll enjoy it … just like we did… Oh, almost forgot; that machine she gave you? Don't be afraid to crank the dials all the way up on it. I think it could even reach Diamond level if you tweak it right/

Crystal Gems, if you're watching this too… I'm so glad Scarlet found you all. I can't thank you enough for giving her what I took away. She thinks the stars of you, which is all I need to know. Thank you so much for being there for her when she needed it and staying with her when things got worse. I'm so grateful for you … being a group she can join and be happy. With everything I am, thank you. /

Now, for the final time, I am Sphene, Facet 7, Cut 4VC, signing off. Captain Carnelian, it has been a privilege, Ma'am. Farewell." Sphene reached out of frame. BRZZT! Her portion of the video ended. Thulite came on screen as she cleared her throat. "Officer Thulite, reporting on my last and, well, _last_ mission: I was to go to the planet Earth and assist in repairing the Blast Injector. The operation was a failure … thank the stars. As of now and from this point on, I'll be taking my leave … permanently. Captain Carnelian, please take care of yourself the same way you take care of others. May you always stay pristine. Thulite out." Thulite reach forward and ended her record. "Captain. Carnelian. Scarlet. More than anything, I want you to know: I meant it every time I said I loved you. You made it easy. You gave me more than I could've ever asked for and more than I ever deserved. You were truly my Red Sky, the best of me, my everything. Thank you for loving me. I hope you get everything wonderful you can imagine, and if it's at all possible, that you find a gem that loves you as much as you loved me… Goodbye." 

Finally, the video ended.

…?

…?

…?

The Crystal Gems sat in silence as they tried to absorb everything that was just said to them. The video had indeed settled quite a few questions … with tragic answers.

Pearl voiced for everyone, "They expected us to imprison them; that's why…"

Connie finished the thought, "That's why they're staying in their gems."

Garnet added, "They didn't expect Tanzanite to fall in their battle either or for her to be forgiving."

Amethyst asked desperately, "Can't we do something? Can we, like, shake them awake or something? Tell 'em it's safe to come out?"

Garnet solemnly responded, "You know we can't do that."

Finally, Steven chimed in, "Then, we'll just have to wait, make sure they're comfortable. They'll come back eventually. And now we know the truth: they were on our side the whole time, and they get to be with Tanzanite again. That's better than we could've hoped for."

Of course, Steven had found a bright side and managed to make the others smile a little. For now, however, there was only more waiting ahead. The four gems in the meantime needed a place to lie securely, comfortably, and peacefully, but the perfect place was fortunately close by… Steven and Connie went to the four gems' ship, the vessel still nestled against the temple quiet and undisturbed. Using a code Carnelian gave them to get in, the two teens carried the four gems into the main command center and placed them at their normal positions: Sphene was placed at the helm to the left; Thulite was placed at navigation post to the right; Azurite was placed at the second-mate position to the right of the main seat; and Carnelian was placed in the captain's seat in the center position.

Steven softly said to them, "I'll see you all when you come back. Rest well, okay?"

With that, they left the four gems in peace…

-X-

Two weeks had passed since the dramatic battle and several days since Steven had placed Carnelian, Azurite, Sphene, and Thulite in their ship. All the while, Steven tried to say positive, but he couldn't stop thinking about them and everything that lead to this. He was even re-watching the group's final report over and over without anyone else around. One night, Steven was about to go to sleep, with Connie preparing to sleep over as well. As he waited for her to finish in the bathroom, Steven was again thinking and mulling over the words in the video. Slowly, something began uncovering in his mind. 'Machine high potential… Settings turned all the way up… Diamond level power… significantly amplifies healing abilities…' Steven froze in realization just as Connie re-joined him.

"Okay, I'm done… Steven? Steven…?"

Steven jumped to his feet. "We have to go talk to Peridot right now!"

All the Crystal Gems were congregated in the barn. Peridot was steadily going through Sphene's files with Pearl observing intently over her shoulders. Lapis was up in her nest, ostensibly watching a show but actually watching the others. Amethyst was napping in a nearby pile, and Garnet was standing close by. The red fusion had brought them together this night, because 'something important would happen there soon', but she offered no further explanation. A flash of light ignited nearby, then after a moment, Steven and Connie came bounding in…

"Peridot?! Peridot?!" Steven called out breathlessly.

Stirred awake and caught off-guard, Amethyst asked in a daze, "Whoa, Steven, where's the fire?"

Likewise shaken out of her concentration, Peridot asked as well, "What is it, Steven? What's wrong?"

"The files Sphene sent you… Are you looking through them? How far are you?"

"Not very. Why?"

Steven's enthusiasm didn't wane a single bit. "I was thinking about what Sphene and Thulite said. They said the machine could be even more powerful, that it might even be able to pull off Diamond level things…"

Peridot interjected, "I'm sure they were exaggerating, Steven."

"Maybe, but still… What Tanzanite had was some kind of basic corruption, right? Well, the machine helped me cure it. If we can improve it enough and turn it up full blast…"

Lapis then spoke up. "Hold on, Steven… What are you suggesting?"

Steven took a deep breath before saying definitely, "If Sphene and Thulite are right, and we fix the machine… I already got close on my own with Centipeetle, and I helped Tanzanite. Maybe … I can finally cure the corruption."

Pearl tried to be gentle. "Steven… that sounds great, but I don't think…"

Garnet interjected, "Hold on. Peridot, look through the files and see if you can find anything."

Peridot turned back to her computer and started rapidly typing, searching and examining at her usual breakneck pace … until she stopped cold.

"Oh... O-Oh…" Peridot muttered in shock. She went back to typing then stopped cold once again. "Oh … my … stars."

Amethyst asked, "What's wrong? What d'ya see, Peridot?"

Peridot was almost mesmerized as she relayed, "Process enhancements, communication shortcuts, De-limiting functions, ports for extra power sources…"

"Normal speak, P-dot…" Amethyst requested.

"It means…" Peridot slowly looked to the others. "It means they weren't exaggerating."

Everyone gasped even as Steven grew a smile, and Pearl spoke, "So… it's true? We could … actually help them?!"

Peridot answered as she went back to typing, "It will take some time to make the upgrades, and it still won't be able to do what Steven can do. But if we use it as an amplifier for Steven's powers…"

"This could work…" Connie then took Steven by the shoulders. "Steven, you could do it!"

Steven hugged Connie back then asked, "Let's do it. Peridot, when can we start?"

"I need to sort through these plans and combine them with my own, then we'll have actions we can take."

Pearl stepped forward, took a seat next to Peridot, and began typing as well. "I'll help. Don't worry, Steven; we'll be ready in no time."

"Whatever you need, let us know." Garnet affirmed as she placed a hand on Steven's shoulder, smiling down at him.

Lapis and Amethyst climbed down from where they were perched, both hugged him as well, and joined Garnet in looking over the exciting new developments. In between all the relief and elation, Steven couldn't help thinking about the 4 gems that gave them this chance.

Quietly, he offered. "Thank you…"

-XXX-

In the 4 gems' ship, all was quiet and still… Suddenly, a light steadily grew alive as Carnelian's gem began to glow… Then, the light grew even bigger as Sphene and Thulite's gems flashed awake at the same time… Finally, Azurite's gem began to shine, slowly at first but then bloomed until the light of all four of them filled the ship.

End of Arc

 _ **A/N:**_ **Well, that's a wrap. Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you come back for more. I have more to say in the 'Credits' chapter after this one, so please, please, please go see that one for additional comments, plans, and shout-outs. Until then, thank you again so much, and as always, Rant, Rave, and Review.**


	15. Credits

_Disclaimer: I don't own Steven Universe, its characters, or its storylines. However, Rebecca Sugar is free to use my characters and/or storylines, if she so chooses._

 _ **A/N:**_ **I must give credit to whom credit is due…**

Steven Universe: Crystallize Red

Credits

 **Soundtrack** (songs this story was written along to):

Ursine Vulpine feat. Annaca ' _Wicked Game_ '

Martin Garrix ' _Now That I've Found You'_

DJ Snake ' _Let Me Love You_ '

Street Fighter 5 ' _Main Theme_ ', ' _Opening- Arcade Edition_ '

Through Fire ' _Stronger_ '

Ill Nino ' _How Can I Live_ '

Bruno Mars ' _24K Magic_ '

Florence + The Machine ' _Stand By Me_ '

George Michael ' _Freedom! '90_ '

Zayde Wolf ' _Heroes'_

Ruelle ' _Game of Survival_ '

Nicki Taylor ' _Worlds Collide'_

Todrick Hall ' _No Place Like Home'_

Archive ' _Bullets_ '

Jose Gonzalez ' _Far Away_ '

Daughtry ' _Crashed_ '

Flux Pavilion ' _Who Wants to Rock_ '

Beck ' _Wow'_

Dawin ' _Dessert_ '

Xzibit ' _What It Is_ '

The Chemical Brothers ' _The Devils is in the Beats_ '

T.M. Revolution ' _Resonance_ '

Daisuke Ishiwatari ' _Ride the Fire!_ ', ' _Sky Should be High'_

Aero Chord & Anuka ' _Incomplete'_

Paul Flint ' _Watch the World Burn_ '

Shaman's Harvest ' _And Then There was Darkness_ '

Rio Hamamoto ' _KAZUMI's theme'_

AJURIKA ' _Equator Line- final'_ ( **Carnelian vs Azurite 'theme'** )

AJURIKA ' _Heat Haze Shadow- 1_ _st_ _round'_ ( **Stevonnie vs Azurite 'theme'** )

AJURIKA ' _Heat Haze Shadow- final'_ ( **Scarlet Stevonnie vs Azurite 'theme'** )

 **Cast** (I know they don't really have voices but please humor me):

Steven Universe – Zach Callison

Connie Maheswaran- Grace Rolek

Tanzanite/Carnelian/Scarlet- Danielle McRae; singing voice- Allison Moyet

Garnet- Estelle

Pearl- Deedee Magno

Amethyst- Michaela Dietz

Peridot- Shelby Rabara

Lapis- Jennifer Paz

Greg Universe- Tom Scharpling

Azurite- Jennifer Paz

Sphene- Shelby Rabara

Thulite- Uzo Aduba

 **Special Thanks:**

 **A5-2874213225 grineer**

 **Darth Cody**

 **Dienen92**

 **Elbarto4000**

 **JellyB3ll**

 **JustinTheSpider**

 **Pstachio**

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 **SirAuruda1st**

 **Sun That Shines Brightly**

 **ThatGuyFanFic**

 **TheBakersDozenPiggy**

 **TurquioseHunter**

 **Wild to the Heart**

 **Abbydobbie**

 **Alexny18111**

 **.94**

 **Crazyanimewomen**

 **Fu-kret**

 **Grimlock987**

 **Innocent kaneki ken**

 **Perididdle**

 **Pichusoup9**

 **Pluen.r12**

 **Redrosegamer450**

 **Lord Loptr**

 **Savvyman52**

 **SincerelyScribbles**

 **Vendicor**

 **Flyinghetzer**

 **KernalKUSTURD**

 **Sade Benjamin**

 **Shadow9896**

 **Theaquadiamond**

 **NoName**

 **Naomi waters**

 **Saint357**

 **Needforsuv**

 **TheNexusLine**

 **Mister_Rat**

 **SkyTheLoner**

 **Iamthewhalelord**

 **SmashBrosForLife**

 **Nacnud**

 **AnimatorOfSouls**

 **CrowAndTheFox**

 **Naga (Dire_Dragon)**

 **Oreina**

 **Zipstrick**

 **BirdstarofSkyclan**

 **Grimnarin**

 **SkyQueen**

 **All who visited and read this story**

 **Final Thoughts:**

This is the end of this current storyline. I am mulling over continuing the story, potentially of the four gems returning and the aftermath, and gauging anyone's interest in reading more. I'm also developing several ideas with more focus on canon characters. If you have any thoughts and feelings on any of these, feel free to let me know.

I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you that read this story of mine. I'm glad that this story was able to get some attention and recognition, and it's all because of all of you that gave it a chance. This story took a long time to write and deliver, and I am thankful and appreciative of your patience with me. I greatly appreciate the time, attention, and opinions you shared with me; I hope I was able to entertain you and give you some enjoyment. I hope you enjoyed this story, maybe even a little inspiration, and that you come back for what I give next. Until next time, I hope you come back and read more from me, and I genuinely wish that all of you the best in your own readings/writings. Thank you so much, and I love you all.

M. M. Richter


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